Together Again
by FairyLights101
Summary: Separation is never easy, especially when you can't remember the person that you've been torn away from. As Levi goes through his life fragments of memories start coming back to him; memories that lead him to the person he's been waiting on for many years.
1. Birth

**Together Again**

**Chapter 1: Birth**

_Did you know? They say that the reason a newborn cries is because they are remembering their past life._

* * *

"I can see his head," a nurse called out and Vivian groaned as another powerful contraction made its way through her body. Her fingers tightened on Louis's hand, crushing his fingers together, but even that couldn't wipe off the expression of apprehension and barely suppressed excitement from his face.

"Alright Mrs. Rivaille, one more push now. Give it everything you've got," the doctor instructed. Vivian threw her head back on the bed and her face screwed up, pain, exhaustion, concentration, and perhaps even fear mixing on her face. "He's out!" the nurse from before said, holding the child up as the other nurses hustled over, carrying soft towels and water over

Seconds passed as they waited for the child to start crying. They waited for what had felt like an eternity, but it was more akin to approximately two minutes, the child began to cry. The cries were loud from the get-go, ringing through the room and audible, even in the hall. Louis blinked in confusion; did a newborn's cry usual sound so distraught, so empty, or was he just imagining things?

"Date of birth is October third, nineteen-ninety-one at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. So, Mr. Rivaille, would you like to cut the cord?"

* * *

Louis stroked his wife's cheek as they gaze at their newborn son who was snuggled up against his mother. The little boy, despite being born nearly three weeks prematurely, was healthy, albeit he was a little small. Vivian turned and kissed Louis gently on the mouth, her face exhausted but glowing. "He's perfect," she murmured, "Our little Levi." Louis smiled and nodded, "You're mother said she couldn't wait to meet him. She said that she would be here in an hour." Vivian smiled, "I take that the weather in Norway cleared up enough." Louis nodded, "Not much, but it was enough for takeoff." Vivian smiled and leaned her head on Louis's shoulder, her eyes closing as she joined her son in sleep.

* * *

In the week since Levi had been born, Levi and Vivian had been cleared to leave the hospital. Vivian's mother had come to see Levi, something that brightened the dying woman's spirits. The door opened slowly and a man with brown hair and glasses peered in, "I hope now is a good time because I'm not sure Carla is willing to wait any longer to see the little Levi.

Louis grinned and the door was thrown further open before he could reply. Carla strode into the room, smiling broadly. "Oh Vivian, Louis, he's so _beautiful_!" she squeaked, moving in for a closer look. "Oh, he's going to be a hit with the ladies alright!" Carla declared, "Who wouldn't love those lovely gray eyes?"

Grisha and Louis exchanged grins while Vivian smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Would you like to hold him Carla?" Carla smiled shyly, suddenly nervous and timid, "Um, I'm not really sure how-" Vivian lifted Levi from the crook of her arm where he had been sleeping peacefully and cradled Levi demonstratively. "Like this," she said encouragingly before holding Levi out.

Carla took Levi into her arms gently, her face softening as she gazed down at the little boy. Vivian smiled and leaned back. Louis absently reached down and stroked her hand as he turned to Grisha, his face serious. "Grisha, Vivian and I have been talking and we've decided upon something." Grisha raised an eyebrow, his hazel eyes questioning.

"If you two are willing, would you like to become Levi's godfather?" Carla's head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock, Grisha's face mimicking his fiancée's expression. "Louis, are you sure about that?" Grisha inquired after a moment, "I mean, have you two really thought about that choice." "Oh don't be stupid," Vivian said, waving her hand in the air, "Of _course_ we've discussed it. I wouldn't want anyone but you two to be Levi's godparents," Vivian said with a grin.

"But I do have one request." With that sentence, her usual humorous manner disappeared, becoming startlingly serious. "If anything ever happens to us, would you two be willing to raise Levi as your own son? We all know that my mother's chemo isn't working; she won't be with us for much longer. Since neither have any other relations, we would like for Levi to go into your care should anything happen to us."

Silence followed her words. Grisha and Carla looked at each other, startled by Vivian's words, but Louis simply nodded in agreement. "Well…" Grisha began, "Carla and I would need to talk about this because I don't want to make a decision she won't agree with. We'll have an answer by tonight, I promise." Louis stood, a grin breaking out on his face, "Grisha my friend, take all the time in the world."

* * *

The papers had been signed, the affairs had been settled, the funerals had been arranged, and the burials had taken place. Carla and Grisha stood before the shared tombstone, tears leaking from their eyes and falling to the cold, unforgiving, freshly-upturned earth. Grisha squeezed Carla's hand fighting to keep it together as he looked at the shared grave, trying hard no to cry and failing miserably.

"At… at least they died together," Carla whispered as she adjusted her hold on the small child in her arms. The child looked up at her, his gray-blue eyes oddly expressionless; the look on his face looked like someone who understood the pain of death, even though someone of his age couldn't possibly understand.

_Here lies Louis and Vivian Rivaille._

_12/09/1950 – 12/10/1991_

_05/21/1948 – 12/10/1991_

_A loving couple that died long before their time. We will miss you forever and keep your memory alive._

_Notre promesse est notre lien._

Levi was barely two months old when his life was torn apart and put back together, one piece still missing.

**Chapter 1: End**

* * *

Alright I am finally back to writing (and posting...) Some notes for the story:

FIRST OFF, I DO NOT OWN SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN (sadly!)

Louis is a French name, just thought I'd clarify that for you guys. It's pronounced 'Louie.'

Eren will eventually make his debut, but don't ask when or how.

Rating may eventually go up depending on what kind of turns go in this...

_Notre promesse est notre lien_ means 'Our promise is our link,' in French. Although I was using Google Translate...

This is based off of a doujin I read while on Tumblr but if I told you which one and linked it that would give the story away! I'll link it on the veeeeery last chapter.

Thank you for reading.


	2. The First Birthday

**Together Again**

**Chapter 2: The First Birthday**

* * *

It was March and signs of spring were beginning to show. The grass was starting to come in green again, birds were beginning to fly in from the south, and the first spring buds were emerging, although those were from some of the hardier plants admittedly.

"Come on Levi, you can do it," Carla said, staring deeply into Levi's eyes, "Say it now; 'mama.'" Grisha laughed from beside her, "What are you talking about, he's obviously going to say 'papa' first, just you watch!"

Carla playfully smacked Grisha and rolled her eyes, "Yeah right Grisha, keep on fooling yourself. Why don't you go get Levi's bottle? It's almost time for him to eat after all." Grisha snorted, "You just want a few more moments with him to see if he says 'mama' first," but Grisha turned to the fridge anyways and got out the bottle that Carla had prepared half an hour ago. He grabbed the green-tinted bottle from the fridge and handed it to Levi.

"I suppose we should start weaning him eventually," Grisha said, "After all, he's almost six months. That's when most people start weaning their children... at least I think they do." Carla nodded in agreement, "We can start tomorrow then."

They watched as Levi picked the handled bottle up and began to drink the pseudo-mother's milk that the pediatrics people had advised them to get. They had already started working on getting Levi to eat solid foods; he certainly wasn't a picky eater for sure.

"Well Carla" Grisha said softly as they watched Levi drink, "Maybe in a year or two we can try and get Levi a little brother or sister…" Carla no-so-discreetly stepped on his foot, making Grisha wince. "How about we get married first and _then_ we can start talking about babies." Grisha smiled and his wince eased as Carla lifted her foot from his. "Sounds like a plan darling."

Carla turned to Grisha, smiling gently as she looked up at his eyes. "Sometimes it amazes me how your intellect is so high in some areas yet completely lacking in others." Grisha frowned, "I can't help that I never found it necessary to watch non-documentary movies while I was in med school!" Carla rolled her eyes, "Yes, but _that_ was quickly fixed."

Grisha smiled and lowered his head until his lips brushed Carla's forehead, lingering there for a moment before moving to her eyes, then to her nose, and finally to her mouth. Their mouths moved slowly against one another's; it was simply a kiss of love and affection, not white-hot desire. Having Levi in the room helped Carla and Grisha learn how to keep things PG and under when around him.

"Eren," the voice was new to Carla and Grisha, and while it was soft, it seemed to lack the childish pronunciation they had expected. Both turned to Levi, who was staring off into space at the beige kitchen walls. "Eren," he said again, a word so simple yet brimming with so many emotions that Carla and Grisha blinked in confusion, first at Levi and then at each other.

Levi turned his head back towards Carla and Grisha and he smiled; a broad, genuinely happy smile that could brighten the room in an instant. Both smiled back at him and Grisha swept him up, tossing the boy carefully in the air, "Eren, eh?" Grisha said with a grin. "Maybe you'll have a little brother Eren one of these years, right Carla?"

* * *

July was unusually hot and dry; the grass was starting to turn brown and there were droughts cropping up across Europe. Thankfully, a break seemed to be coming soon because some of the reporters had been talking about a forming hurricane off of the coast of Great Britain.

Carla gently held Levi's hands as she led him around the living room. He was still getting used to walking, but he was a swift learner, although it could have just been the stubborn mindset that the child had. Carla slowly let her hands slip from his and Levi stood in the center of the carpeted living room, standing more or less steady on his own.

Levi looked up at her, his gray-blue eyes so focused, so clear. Carla couldn't help but wonder sometimes if a child's eyes were supposed to be quite so focused, so… empty. Grisha said that it was probably trauma from the death of his parents; trauma could affect anyone of any age and mental state.

Carla took Grisha's word on the matter and kept on smiling and loving her adopted son, whether he smiled and cried or not. Levi looked around the living room for a moment before taking slow, wobbling steps over to where Carla had sat down. He kept going till he was standing in front of her, his small hands holding onto her knees as he looked up at Carla.

He pulled the green pacifier out of his mouth, "Mama, where Eren?" Carla smiled at Levi and picked him up gently, setting him down on her knee. "There's nobody named Eren," she said in amusement as she gently bounced him up and down. He blinked, his big gray eyes looking despondent, as if he had been expecting a 'yes' instead. Carla smiled softly, _you're a strange one Levi, but I still love you._

* * *

October brought with it the cold and the ground was frosty on the morning of the third. There was no sign of snow yet, but one never knew when the weather would be just right. While outside might have been cold and windy, with orange and gold leaves being tossed through the air, inside was warm and cozy, filled with the rich scents of hot chocolate and cinnamon.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Levi, happy birthday to you," Carla and Grisha sang as they watched the blue-and-white candle slowly melt, the orange-gold flame licking at the air. They blew out the candle for Levi and cut him a small piece of the small square cake, taking turns feeding bites to him.

They laughed as he got icing on his thin, pale cheeks and even in his black hair, which was due for a trim anytime. Levi smiled with them, even laughing when Grisha stuck his finger into the icing and swiped it across Carla's face, which led to a playful shoving match and Carla smearing icing on Grisha's glasses. Levi smiled as he watched the two, laughter bubbling at his lips. This was noted by the ever-watchful eyes of Carla and Grisha and it made their smiles grow even bigger. Perhaps Levi was finally starting to open up.

When Carla went to tuck Levi in that night she pecked him on the forehead. "Goodnight Levi dear," she whispered softly, "We love you." Levi blinked up at her, his gray eyes now dark from the lack of light aside from the small nightlight. "Love you mommy." Carla smiled and stroked his hair for a few moments before quietly leaving the room and cracking the door as she left. Levi stared at the door for a few moments before looking at the ceiling, "Goodnight Eren."

_When will I see you again? It's been so long already._

**Chapter 2: End**

* * *

Wow. I'm actually kind of shocked at how I'm already getting responses and it's been less than 24 hours. Now I normally don't upload chapters on back-to-back days but that one _was_ kind of short (don't worry they'll get longer), and I had already written this chapter. Sometimes I'm a little worried that everybody is gonna hate what I write so I spend ages on it.

Aaaaaanyways; you're obviously noting the time skips that I'm putting in. That's going to happen for a few chapters and then the skips will start closing in on each other and the chapters will be longer.

Also, I'm a bit clumsy with writing a baby's progression (probably because I don't have any younger siblings and because I'm a bit young to bear children).

But yes, many thanks to all of you wonderful readers, and I sincerely hope that you continue to enjoy my story! The next chapter will be up sometime in the next few days.


	3. The Silent Child

**Together Again**

**Chapter 3: The Silent Child**

* * *

January brought on massive snow storms; they lost power three different occasions and ended up with nearly two meters of snow by the week after New Year's Day. It took six days for it all to melt, during which Carla and Grisha took Levi outside in the cold, winter air.

Levi was delighted by the cold, white powder that would melt almost as soon as it touched his skin. He was even more fascinated by the icicles, which were hanging along the side of the roof, ranging from a single millimeter long to nearly seven centimeters. He would sit in front of them for minutes on end, his red nose nearly touching the bumpy ice as his eyes stared deep into the glimmering depths.

They had made a snowman, one nearly as tall as Grisha, and had even put his glasses on the snowman for a few minutes before Grisha had walked into a table. That had warranted the return of his glasses, albeit a little reluctantly in Levi's department; apparently 'daddy snowman' was something that should not be tampered with.

The same night they made the snowman was the same night Carla found out some very exciting news; Levi would be getting a brother or sister. But that also raised a question; when would they tell Levi that he wasn't actually their son?

* * *

March rolled around again and Carla and Grisha found that Levi seemed to be crestfallen about something. He seemed to be constantly looking for someone or something, but every time Carla or Grisha asked who or what he was looking for he stubbornly refused to tell them anything.

At one point Grisha had found Levi lying on the back of a chair, staring despondently out the window. He had stayed in that position - arms dangling over the back, legs over the front, his stomach on the back of the back – for nearly three hours before he gave up, rubbing his eyes furiously as he tried not to cry. When March passed so did Levi's strange mood. Carla and Grisha allowed their concern to fade to the backs of their minds for the time being.

* * *

It was late April when Carla and Grisha sat Levi down to tell him something that they stressed was very important. "Now Levi," Grisha said, "You're about to reach a big step, not only in your life but another child's too.

Levi blinked, cocking his head slightly to the right as he looked back and forth between the two. "Levi, in a few months you're going to be a big brother," Carla carefully explained, focusing on Levi's eyes and the slow motion of Grisha's thumb along the back of her hand. They still had yet to get married, but that could always come after the child was born.

"… Big brother…" Levi murmured, looking thoughtfully at Carla before a slow, hesitant smile broke out on his face. "Now Levi, it's a big responsibility having a younger sibling; you've got to be careful with them and treat them with love and care." Levi nodded seriously, his face set with determination and focus. "I can do it!" he proclaimed, placing his fist over his heart. Grisha chuckled at his enthusiasm and glanced at Carla, "Well then," he said, "That settles that."

* * *

June rushed upon them, bringing with it more waves of heat and rain storms, but they were the kind of storms that lasted for an hour, maybe two, and consisted of gentle rain and a bit of thunder and lightning. The world around them flourished, and Levi waited with barely contained excitement for the growing life within his mother.

Levi sat in the house, reading a book with the babysitter, whose name was Dot, but he always went by Mr. Pixis. Mr. Pixis was an old man, a good friend of Grisha's, and their next door neighbor to boot. Mr. Pixis was always bringing over books with pictures for Levi, whether they were of landscapes or animals or fairytales.

Some even had words along with the pictures, and Mr. Pixis would read aloud, his finger on the word so Levi could follow along. Mr. Pixis said that he had learned how to read that was and that it was very 'efficient,' or easy, as Mr. Pixis explained.

The book they were reading was a collection of fairytales. The book was thick and bound with a green material that Levi didn't know the name of, with golden writing on the front. They were reading about an ugly duckling, unloved by even his own mother, until he discovered that he wasn't duckling but a swan instead. It made Levi sad when he thought about it; what kind of mother would be so mean to her child?

The sound of chimes jarred him from his thoughts and he looked up. Mr. Pixis handed the big book to Levi and stood, striding quickly over to where the phone sat. "Hello, this is the Jaeger residence, how may I help you? Oh, it's you Grisha. How was the appointment?" Levi watched as the smile slipped from Mr. Pixis's face, being replaced with a deep frown full of sadness.

"Grisha, if you and Carla need some time alone I can watch Levi while you sort things out. Alright… okay… alright, we'll see you in a few." Mr. Pixis placed the phone back in its cradle and slowly turned around, his face grim. "Levi," Mr. Pixis said, "You're mom and dad will be home soon. However," he continued before Levi could say something, "They've just had some very bad news so be on your best behavior."

Levi blinked before nodding vigorously; he could do it! _If Eren could manage it, then I can too! Although, I'm not sure who Eren is…_ the last thought ran absently through Levi's mind, accompanied by a pang of sadness and longing. When his mother and father returned home Levi could clearly see the emotions on their faces; pain and despair on his mother's, while his father's was tight with sadness.

Carla picked him up and cried into his hair, her entire body shaking with sobs. Levi wrapped his arms tight around her neck, not quite sure of what else he should do. He could hear Mr. Pixis and his father taking in the background, only bits and pieces audible to him, and fewer bits of the conversation actually making sense. "Horrible news," his father murmured, "Stillborn… considering a C-section…"

* * *

In July the storms came, hard and heavy, as if they were unconsciously reflecting the emotions of the Jaeger household.

The change was obvious; the house was suddenly quieter and less cheerful now that they knew that they were living with death. Carla and Grisha had sat Levi down, explaining slowly and carefully that no, he wasn't going to be a big brother this time and that no, he wasn't going to get to meet them.

When they told him as gently as they could that the child had died Levi had merely stared at them for a few minutes before stumbling off somewhere, emerging a few hours later with a puffy face and red eyes. That had been at the beginning of the month.

Carla went through the C-section and they buried the child, dead before she had even taken her first breath.

* * *

Dot Pixis came over for Levi's birthday that year, along with their new neighbors, Jasper and Meredith Smith. The Smith's had a three-year old son named Irvin; he was blonde, with bright blue eyes and a calm personality. They had moved from America when Jasper's job had required them to relocate to England in order to retain his position.

Irvin and Levi had sat together in the living room floor, slowly putting together a new puzzle with the help of Mr. Pixis. The four parents watched their respective son's, smiling as the two managed to interact in a strange but friendly manner; for the most part the two boy's faces were blank but they still communicated well with each other.

Levi looked back and forth for a piece; it was the very last one, a piece from the center part of the puzzle. "Crap," Grisha muttered softly, "Why is it the puzzle that we buy the one that's missing one piece." Carla shrugged but before she could reply Mr. Pixis produced the piece from behind Irvin's ear and pressed it into place.

Both boys perked up, eyes widening at the new trick. "Magic," Irvin said, looking eagerly at Mr. Pixis, who grinned in return. "Magic," he said, "And maybe one day you two will also learn it. But in the meantime I'll show you a few other tricks."

Grisha tucked Levi in that night, smiling in amusement as he carried the sleeping boy from the couch to his nearly outgrown crib. Eventually they would get around to getting him a bed, but for now the crib would be suffice.

He cracked the door when he left and Levi opened his eyes, staring at the dark ceiling as his sleep-fuzzy brain adjusted to consciousness. He sat up slowly and looked around; there was nothing in the room out of the ordinary.

Perhaps he had just been imagining the giant person that had been holding him in his palm, only he was all grown up and had swords in his hands. But still, the imagination had seemed so real, especially the smoldering green eyes hidden behind the long brown hair of the giant person, who was so familiar yet so strange that it was painful.

**Chapter 3: End**

* * *

Ah, another chapter is out! At a little after 12 o'clock in the morning too~ Wonderful... I'm kind of half asleep in my chair right now to be honest. That's not the point though!

Thanks to all of you wonderful people for your wonderful reviews and for even bothering to click and read! The story is slowly picking up so don't worry your pretty little heads about it.

Anyways, so long as my cat stays healthy (he had emergency surgery on Tuesday T.T), there should be an update later today. Possibly. It depends on how long I can retain consciousness after school. So yes, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more! (Now I feel like a radio person.)


	4. Union

**Together Again**

**Chapter 4: Union**

* * *

Carla hummed a soft song as she kneaded dough, one eye trained on Levi as he sat in his highchair, gradually and meticulously colored in a picture book. Currently Levi was coloring a rabbit, its fur being a bright purple while its eyes were solid black and Levi was working on coloring the tips of the ears a light yellow-green color. Carla watched in amusement as Levi frowned every time the color ended up outside the lines, causing the young boy to mutter to himself for a few moments before continuing.

Carla glanced at the clock; it was nearly five o'clock, which meant Grisha would be returning soon. Carla rolled the dough up into a ball and pried her fingers from it, washing them off quickly before grabbed a towel and a bowl to deposit the bread in. She placed the bread in the light still streaming through the window. It would take longer for the bread to rise since the sunlight was still weak with its early-spring rays, but that didn't really matter.

"Darling, I'm home!" Grisha called as he closed the front door, setting his bag down as he took off his hat, jacket, and scarf. Carla waited for him in the doorway to the kitchen, a cheery smile on her face. "Welcome home dear," she said. Grisha wrapped her up in a hug before pulling back and inspecting her face for a moment. "What is it?" Carla asked, a small note of panic in her voice, "Have I got something on my face? You know, blood, dirt, paint or anything?"

Grisha chuckled a bit and licked his thumb, swiping it across Carla's cheekbone, "No, just a bit of flour." Carla smiled and pressed her lips against Grisha's gently before pulling back. "Oh, the Smiths want to know if we're available for dinner on Saturday." Grisha hummed thoughtfully for a moment, "Yes, I do believe the hospital gave me this weekend off. I'll have to check tomorrow to be sure, but I think that we'll be able to make it." Carla grinned, her eyes scrunching up, "That's great Grisha! I can't wait to let Meredith know!"

Grisha smiled softly as Carla turned away and he reached into the pocket of his black slacks, fingers gently caressing the smooth black box tucked within. Now he needed to do was stop panicking at the mere thought of his plans.

* * *

Levi was irritated by the use of the highchair but it was necessary; he was barely able to reach the tabletop unless he had a stack of books or cushions underneath him. Luckily Irvin was confined to a highchair too, so that evened things out a bit. He pushed some beans around on his plate before spearing them on the small green fork, eating them with swift and delicate bites.

Not much of the conversation his mother and father were holding with the Smiths made sense, but that didn't really matter. He listened to Irvin's chatter, which ranged from words and phrases that either didn't make sense or weren't understandable, to things like fish and clocks. The older boy was occasionally talkative, making up for his lack of words during the times that he did talk.

Levi grimaced as a small pain laced through his belly before disappearing as quickly as it had come. Irvin didn't seem to notice, and neither did his parents or the Smiths, which probably was a good thing. Had they noticed they probably would have been asking him questions, certainly more than ten, which was the largest number that Levi could count to currently without making any mistakes. Levi sighed and looked up, watching as the adults lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Then his father cleared his throat, "I… I have something that I would like to say…" He spoke stiffly, as if he was afraid of something… or someone. Levi watched, semi-interested as his mother looked questioningly at his father, who slowly stood, reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small black box, getting onto one knee as he did so.

"Carla Marie Cole, will you marry me?" His mother's mouth dropped open and she stared at his father in shock. Mrs. Smith was grinning from ear to ear while Mr. Smith was chuckling, but both had looked of tension on their faces. "Grisha you moron, I thought you'd never ask," his mother whispered, "Of course I'll marry you!"

* * *

May was humming with life as the sun warmed and the spring rains fell. The rosebushes in the garden were going wild and the birdfeeders that Levi's father had hung up had trouble keeping up with the ravenous bird population.

Levi awoke early in the morning, his head a mass of pain and his body chilled to the bone. He shook violently, the fever and chills fighting for dominance over his body. He opened his mouth to cry out for someone, anyone, but the only sound that passed his lips was a hoarse whimper, muted by his constricted throat. The pain, oh God the pain was awful. It was a blinding pain that centered at the base of his neck and the sides of his forehead, spreading through the rest of his skull.

Levi gripped his head, as if digging his fingers in could drag the pain away. Tears streamed down his face and his spine locked into place, preventing him from moving aside from his arms and legs. Black spots swam into his vision and he was sucked down into the bliss of unconsciousness.

_Large fingers approached his face; fingers far larger than any humans could ever be. Each finger was longer than he was, and the skin radiated more heat than his own body, but not so much that it was burning. The massive hand flattened down onto the ground and Levi stepped up onto the palm, which slowly and delicately raised him until he was eye-level with the owner of the hand. Green-gold eyes stared at him through the strands of dark brown hair that hung in its face, intelligence and awareness lurking in their depths. Levi stretched his hand out until it rested between the creature's smoldering eyes. There was no need to fear this creature; he could be trusted, and Levi trusted him with his life._

Levi jerked upwards, his breath coming in short, quick gasps. A damp washcloth landed in his lap and there was a rustle as someone stood. His mother came over, her eyes bright with worry and relief. "Oh Levi, thank God you're alright."

* * *

Levi found the clothing that he was required to wear very uncomfortable. His parents had rented the suit for him, but Levi found himself wishing that he could have just worn shorts and a shirt; he had. When he had emerged from the changing room his mother had beamed at him as he turned obediently, showing off the black and white outfit. However Irvin had looked even more awkward if possible, so that had cheered Levi up a bit.

Now they were waiting for the music to begin playing. His father stood on a little raised platform, with Mr. Smith to his right and a priest to his left. His father shifted nervously, tugging on his collar and attempting to look calm. Levi and Irvin sat in the front on the uncomfortable wooden pews; only Mr. Pixis was sitting beside them. The rest of their neighbors and his parents' friends and fellow workers had filled in the pews behind them, all of them dressed up.

When the first notes of the piano rang throughout the chapel everyone fell silent and turned to look as the doors in the back opened. Levi longed to stand up to see; he was barely tall enough to see over the back of the pew, let alone through the crowd of people. There was a flash of white and the music continued, soft and sweet in the silent air.

He tracked the flash of white through the crowd until his mother was visible. She was beautiful; her hair was pulled up into curls on the top of her head and she was wearing a long white dress that flared slightly at her hips. Beside her walked Mrs. Smith; she was wearing a soft yellow dress that matched the roses in the bouquet.

Levi watched as they walked up to the platform where his father stood, moving painstakingly slowly. The pianist fell silent and the chapel descended into silence for a few moments before the priest began to speak, reading from a Bible for ages before he finally reached the main part of the ceremony.

"Do you, Grisha Erik Jaeger, take Carla Marie Cole to be your lawfully wedded wife, to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish; from this day forth until death do you part?" The words rolled out, fluid with practiced ease. Levi watched with renewed interest as his father swallowed nervously, "I do." The priest turned to his mother then and repeated the words. "I do," his mother's voice was confident and strong and Levi smiled at that.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said, "You may kiss the bride."

* * *

Levi spent a week under the Smith's care as his parents flew to Paris for a few days to celebrate their honeymoon. He and Irvin ended up sharing the older boy's bed, which was more than big enough to accommodate the two children.

They managed to put together three puzzles during the first two days; one was of Big Ben, one was of some palace that Levi couldn't remember the name of, and the last one was of the Queen. They only glued one of the puzzles; Big Ben had been the mutual agreement between Irvin and Levi.

The Smiths had taken them shopping for too; Irvin would be starting kindergarten in two weeks so school supplies were a must, but they had also bought Levi a pack of coloring pencils.

He spent nearly an hour the same night drawing a clumsy picture of two people; one was taller than the other and had brown hair and green eyes while the other was black-haired and gray-eyed. Levi had drawn the two people holding hands and had carefully printed their names in the top right-hand corner. _Eren and Levi, 851;_ there were arrows drawn to each respective person, Levi being the darker haired of the two.

_It hurts Eren, it really, truly hurts._

**Chapter 4: End**

* * *

Hello again~ I hope you all are enjoying so far and thank you for the comments! (It's really giving me drive to keep writing, knowing that people actually like this.)

But yes, Levi is starting to remember things~ The marriage scene was short cause I was feeling lazy and I'm not really a person for long-winded speeches and prayers and stuff. Anyways, I will be unable to upload tomorrow due to sports but I should have another chapter out on Sunday! Until then, thanks for reading!


	5. Meeting Zoe

**Together Again**

**Chapter 5: Meeting Zoe**

* * *

It was a cold, quiet February when Hanji family moved in across the street. Grisha passed along Carla's invitation for them to come over the week after they had moved in, dubbing it their welcome to the neighborhood party. She ended up inviting Mr. Pixis and the Smiths over too, proclaiming that more people meant more fun and that it was a good change for the Hanji's to meet some more of their neighbors. Carla was also delighted to learn that they had a daughter who was only a few days younger than Levi.

The doorbell rang and Carla opened it open, smiling at the trio, "Hi, I'm Carla Jaeger!" She said with an easy smile, sticking her hand out to shake, "It's nice to meet you both!" The man and woman smiled back at her, "Hello. I'm Jiro Hanji; this is my wife, Ada, and our daughter Zoe." The man gestured to each of them in turn and the wife nodded in greeting. Carla shook both their hands and took Zoe's hand, "Well aren't you cute."

Zoe grinned at Carla, her amber eyes sparkling mischievously as they shook hands. Carla led the Hanji family into the house and into the living room, where the Smiths and Mr. Pixis were sitting, chatting amiably. Carla directed Zoe to Levi's room and sat down to begin the process of making friends with the neighbors.

Levi was dubious about even interacting with Zoe, who was strange to say the least. She talked for what must have been fifteen minutes solid about some kind of insect, and Levi was pretty sure she hadn't taken a single breath throughout her little speech. Irvin was more compatible with Zoe, quietly enduring her talking and occasionally inputting something.

Levi could only shake his head; how could someone possibly be so _weird_? At one point Zoe had said something about having an ant farm and 'disectaming' a worm she had found in her driveway. How disgusting, honestly, did the girl not know how many _germs_ and crap could occupy something like that. Even the thought of it made Levi shudder with disgust.

"Oh!" Zoe said sometime after she had finished talking, "Levi, I brought you somethin'." She rummaged through her pockets for a moment before producing three suckers. She held them out and grinned, "Here!" Levi raised an eyebrow and cautiously took one; Irvin took one took with a murmured "Thanks" along with it. Levi glanced back up at Zoe, who hummed softly as she slowly peeled the wrapper off of her sucker, silent at last. _Perhaps she's okay…_ Levi thought, _that doesn't mean that I'm going to cling to her._

* * *

Levi tapped his fingers on the wooden floor impatiently as he waited for Zoe to lay down a card. They were playing _Uno_; Irvin had three cards, Levi had five, and Zoe had ten. "Lay down a card already," Levi growled and Zoe rolled her eyes. "I will when I'm ready," she retorted as she scanned the cards again, her right hand hovering above the cards and moving from left to right along with her eyes.

She finally drew one and tossed it onto the pile; a red 7. Irvin immediately put a yellow 7 card on the pile. Levi gazed dully at the cards and then glanced at his own hand. He had two yellow cards, one of which was a skip, one green, and two blues. _This is such a boring game,_ he thought as he tossed the skip card down, smirking at Zoe's indignant squeak. Irvin laid another yellow down.

"_UNO,"_ Zoe shrieked, laughing when she saw Irvin's mouth, which had frozen halfway open. "Snooze you lose," she said, sticking her tongue out cheekily. Levi rolled his eyes and put his other yellow card down, tuning out Zoe and Irvin so that he could think. _March is cold again,_ he thought, _but after tomorrow it'll be over again. March is cold Eren; it's very, very cold._

* * *

_Levi picked up the swords, feeling the way that they had been carefully balanced so that neither end was too heavy to hold in a flat line. The gear felt awkward on his body; foreign, like it didn't belong._

_In truth it didn't really; he didn't belong here either for that matter. He was just some street trash that Irvin had picked up after he had tried to stab the other man in a fit of desperation for money, clothes, anything really. Such was the price of living on the streets for who knows how many years; Levi certainly couldn't remember how many years it had been._

_He could feel their eyes on him, he could hear their words when they thought he couldn't; neat-freak, trash, pity pickup, strange. It didn't bother him; things as mundane as that had stopped bothering him years ago._

_Levi sighed and stared blankly ahead as they waited on the signal to begin the exercise. As soon as the man's hand dropped Levi was already gone, shooting through the trees ahead of the other trainees. He leapt from tree to tree, searching for a target. His eyes spotted movement, too large to be a person and he angled towards the wooden cutout that was supposed to represent a Titan._

_He spun through the air, his eyes blazing with cold fury as he sliced through the padded surface on the back of the neck, straight through the middle._

Levi opened his eyes sleepily and rolled over in his bed, looking at the wall for a long time. The dream was fresh and vivid within his mind, but he wasn't quite sure what it meant. Maybe he was going to be someone who flew through trees one day, attacking wooden cutouts.

God, if he ever mentioned that to Zoe she would have a fit before pressing him for every detail. That was just how that annoying girl was. He rolled onto his stomach and thrust his head into his pillow, stretching his short legs out in the long bed. _Wings,_ he thought, _maybe one day I'll have wings._

* * *

July was warm, but not so much that it was stifling hot or humid. It rained for the first three days, a ceaseless drizzle that occasionally picked up into a downpour. The gray clouds finally began clearing up on the fourth and by the fifth they were completely gone.

"Meow…" the faint sound came from the window looking out into the backyard. Levi looked up and blinked when he saw the squashed, furry gray face peering through the glass at him, golden eyes fixed on gray eyes. He shook his mother's shoulder, his eyes still locked on the cat's own eyes. "What is it Levi?" she inquired, looking up from her letter. "There's a cat," Levi said simply, gesturing towards said feline.

His mother shook her head, laughter bubbling at her lips, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to give it some tuna or something. You go get a can and I'll get him a plate." Levi jumped up and opened one of the cupboards that were easily accessible to someone of his height, rummaging through the cans of soup and tomato sauce until he found some tuna.

His mother was already waiting at the door, a plate in hand. She opened the door and they walked out; the cat jumped down, letting out a meow when it saw them approach but it didn't run. Levi slowly cracked open the can after several attempts, dumping the contents onto the paper plate, which he then offered to the blue-gray feline.

Its long fur was raggedy and filled with knots and despite all of the fluff, it looked quite skinny. Its face was more or less squashed flat and circular, its nose snubbed upwards. The cat hungrily attacked the food as soon as Levi set the plate down, eating in the neat but quick way that cats had.

Levi looked up at his mother, eyes wide and pleading, "Can we keep him?" His mother bit her lip and looked at the cat, "Well… he'll need to go to the vet and that fur has no hope with its current state, but if your father is fine with it then it's fine with me." Levi beamed at her and crouched down to pet the cat, "Your name will be Moony," Levi said, the tone of his voice leaving no room for arguments.

Moony turned out to be a female when they had her examined at the vet's office two days later after they shaved all of her fur except for the fluff around her neck and head, her tail, and her legs.

* * *

Irvin and Zoe came over the week after school started for Irvin; the blond boy was going into kindergarten, which he said was quite boring.

Levi couldn't help but think that even boring school would be less boring than staying home all day, doing nothing but coloring, reading, wandering around, and playing with Moony. Things got dull quickly and the days ran together, especially with nothing to do. Sometimes he was so desperate for company he found himself wishing Zoe was there to chatter beside him while they built something with Legos or played cards.

He immediately regretted ever wishing that when Zoe spotted Moony and said, "Can I dissect him?" That earned her a pillow to the face and a punch to the shoulder, which led to Zoe complaining more than was strictly necessary on her part. "Stupid brat," Levi muttered, pointedly turning his back on the girl.

Two small hands met with his back and he fell forwards, catching himself on the floor with his hands. He looked up at Zoe, a positively murderous look on her face. "I am _not_ a brat!" Zoe said, glaring at Levi. Irvin rolled his eyes and walked between them, hands up on either side that they would have to go through him to get to the other.

"Stop or I'll get your mother," he said forcefully. Zoe frowned but stuck her hand out after a moment, her eyes downcast. "Sorry I asked to dissect Moony," she murmured. Levi looked at her for a moment before taking her hand slowly, "Don't do it again."

**Chapter 5: End**

* * *

Alright, another chapter out! Sorry that it's out kinda late at night/early in the morning. I was otherwise occupied until an hour or two ago.

So I really wanted to give Levi a cat in this one (since the cat stereotype is that they are cold and aloof and unfriendly they kind of fit but that's not really how cats are). So I was on tumblr and I saw that Levi's birthday was now officially Dec. 25 and I just sat there staring for a moment before I check Eren's. Thankfully, I got the month he was born in right (hoorah!). So yes, school begins in the next chapter because he'll be of age, along with Zoe.

So yes, another chapter can be expected either tomorrow or Tuesday so please stay tuned!

On another note, thanks to all of you wonderful people who have read this and have been keeping up with it!


	6. School Begins

**Together Again**

**Chapter 6: School Begins**

* * *

April was sunny and warm, with gentle rains coming down every few days, bringing the plants and grass to life. Colorful blooms had exploded in Carla's garden, providing bright swathes of color amongst the green grass.

Levi awoke on the fourteenth, his head pounding and his stomach twisting in uncomfortable knots. Levi cracked his eyes open slowly, wincing at the light coming in through his window, even though it was dimmed by the heavy curtain hanging in the way. He pushed himself up shakily and wobbled to the bathroom, locking the door behind him and crouching down pitifully next to the toilet, remembering how Carla had told him to go straight to the toilet if he felt nauseous.

Levi clutched his head and buried it into his knees, trying to block out the single light in the bathroom that he had turned on. It felt like his skull was splitting in two again. He almost wished it was; at least that way the pain might stop. Every movement and sound was like a knife to his head and hot, pained tears began to trickle down his face. _Not again,_ Levi thought desperately, _why again?_ He jerked upwards and his spine stiffened, bright colors and startling images flashing through his mind.

_Levi closed his eyes, tucking his hands behind his head as he listened to Eren's subdued voice as the boy read from a book. The book talked about things in the outside world; lands of fire and ice, great and endless bodies of saltwater, of places where there was nothing but sand, and more. The boy had apparently acquired it from Armin before they had departed for the Survey Corps HQ._

_Levi still wasn't quite sure how exactly Eren had managed to smuggle it out here without anyone noticing, much less have it during training without anyone finding out. Maybe Arlert's parents had held onto it while they were training. He could almost imagine the scenes Eren was describing; places where mountains spewed fire and ash and water-like fluid that burned through everything it touched. Places where farmers had once built terrace farms along the sides of mountains in order to sustain themselves._

_They practiced that now in the mountains, but it was still inefficient. Levi sighed, feeling a sense of hopelessness building at the thought of all the things in the world he probably wouldn't get to see._

_There was a rustle of pages and a soft thud as Eren shut the book before the bed dipped under Levi. Levi cracked an eye open as the taller boy laid his head down on Levi's shoulder. "I'm sorry if reading that irritated you Levi," Eren murmured. Levi raised his hand and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "It didn't irritate me," he said, "It simply made me think that I might never see any of those things."_

_Eren nodded in agreement, "I probably won't either, but even if I had the chance too I wouldn't want to see them without you."_

Levi blinked, clearing his watering eyes as he tried to focus his wavering gaze on something. Everything had dulled; the pain was still there but it felt like it belonged to another person, to another body. He felt his spine lock out again but the feeling was distant, disconnected from his mind. His vision plunged black again.

_"Ten more laps," Levi deadpanned, watching the incredulous faces of the new recruits who had only joined the Survey Corps a few days ago. Currently he had them running around the edge of the complex walls on the inside. Already they had completed thirty laps. "Go on you stupid brats," he said, "Get running; we've all done it before." There were a few sighs but everyone took off again, slowly jogging their way around the complex._

_He could see Eren in the group, running alongside Mikasa and Armin. They were probably too breathless to talk but company was always good when it came to forcing yourself to keep going. The rest of his squad took their places around him, watching as the new recruits ran._

_"Did Commander Irvin inform you about how long we have until the 57__th__ Expedition begins?" Erd inquired quietly. "Ten days," Levi said, "Which means that we need to ensure that these idiots are at least mediocre before we take them out." He watched as Eren and one of the other boys – Jean, Levi presumed, based on his conversations with Eren – broke out in front of the rest of the group, staying ahead for a minute or two before dropping back again._

Morons, _Levi thought,_ the whole point of this exercise is to test your stamina, not see who can drop dead first._ Levi turned and began to walk across the training grounds, "Make sure that they finish their laps before they get water," he called over his shoulder._

The tears slowly stopped flowing until Levi gave one final hitch and slumped against the cool tiles on the bathroom floor. He couldn't remember when he had hit the floor, but it must have been some time ago. He laid there for a long time, slowly bringing his breathes back under his control. His headache was receding and his stomach no longer felt shaky. Levi pushed himself up on trembling arms and stood, his right leg giving out twice beneath him before he finally managed to stand. _What is going on?_

* * *

School began on the 26th of August for Trost Elementary, starting at eight o'clock in the morning and letting out at two in the afternoon.

Levi's mother kissed him on the cheek as he prepared to go out the door, "Have a good day honey," she said softly, a look of worry evident on her face. Levi grumbled and rubbed at his cheek, "I'll be fine Mom." He turned and stretched up, his fingers managing to catch on the door handle. He pulled it open and turned his head back, "Bye Mom, I love you." His mother looked at him tenderly, "Love you too sweetheart."

Levi let door shut behind him and he marched down the driveway and over to Irvin's, where the bus would be picking him up along with Zoe and Irvin. Zoe strolled up a minute after he did, smiling brightly as she walked up, holding a brightly colored cube in her hand. It had six different colors of squares on it; red, orange, white, yellow, blue, and green.

Zoe shifted one of the sides of the cube, "Look Levi, Irvin! It's a Rubik's Cube!" Both of them peered at the cube as they watched Zoe twist the sides for a few moments before holding it aloft, showing them a side of solid green. "You shift the sides till they're solid!" she said excitedly, bouncing up and down, which sent her brown hair flying across her face.

"Don't you have to get all of the sides to match and in a certain order?" Irvin said, raising a thick blond eyebrow. Zoe frowned, looking distinctly put-out, "Yeah but it's hard to do." Irvin smiled, "Of course it is; if it was easy it'd be pointless." Zoe grinned and nodded in excitement, "I'll finish it, I swear!" All three turned their heads at the sound of an engine; a massive yellow machine approached. "That's the bus," Irvin said, his voice taking on an almost parental quality

Levi looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "Really Irvin? One mother is enough already." Zoe clapped her hand over her mouth to stop a fit of giggles from bursting from her lips as the bus screeched to a stop in front of them, the doors opening with a hiss.

* * *

"Hello class, my name is Mrs. Winters. I will be your teacher for this year. When I call your name you need to say 'here' or 'present' so that I can mark that you are here." The class looked up at the woman. She was young, with brown-blond hair and bright blue eyes. She held up a clipboard and pencil and began to call out names.

"Jensen Black," "Here," it was a boy with blond hair and blue eyes.

"Nile Dok," "Here," it was a boy with dark brown hair and eyes.

"Ali Everhart," "Here," it was a girl with brown hair and green eyes.

And so the morning proceeded. Zoe was seated next to Levi, who both inwardly groaned and thanked the seating chart that he was sitting near someone he knew. He picked up a wooden pencil in his hand and slowly began to copy down the letters that the teacher was showing them. He glanced at Zoe's paper to see how she was doing.

She hadn't written anything; instead she was staring furiously at the board, her brow furrowed as her eyes narrowed. She leaned forwards, practically overtop the desk. "Can you see?" Levi whispered quietly to her and Zoe looked back at him, her face unreasonably anguished. "No," she whispered in horror, "Does that mean I can't come to school anymore?"

* * *

By the end of the first week Zoe had acquired glasses; they were square, with black frames holding them in place. By the end of September they had been launched from numbers and letters into actually producing eligible sentences, drawing pictures to accompany for some odd reason.

As the days dragged on, Levi could understand why Irvin found school so boring. Most of the time they did the same thing hour after hour, day after day, and occasionally week after week, depending on what the subject they were learning about was. Levi couldn't wait for the first long break to come up; his brain felt overloaded with all of the new information he kept acquiring.

But at least his head hadn't hurt him since April, and he had seen no strange visions of people he didn't know.

Levi slowly unwrapped a bit of Halloween candy, watching as Irvin and Zoe bickered about what they would and wouldn't trade this time. Levi sighed; those two were so compatible sometimes it was almost frightening.

**Chapter 6: End**

* * *

****Alright guys, I finally got this chap up! I'm kind of rushing because I've got to get ready for school too so I'm gonna keep this short. Basically thanks for reading, I hope you all are liking it so far, and another chapter will be out tomorrow most likely. Until adieu and thank you for reading!


	7. Summer Break and Memories

**Together Again**

**Chapter 7: Summer Break and Memories**

* * *

The 11th of June could not come soon enough for Levi; school had been a dull and mind-numbing experience that had crammed his head full of things he figured he would forget over the summer.

Zoe and Irvin came over the day school ended and they sat in the living room, playing board games and listened to the background noise of what varied from the news to cartoons depending on who managed to possess the remote. Levi glanced at his cards, "Irvin, have you got any threes?"

Irvin looked at his cards momentarily, "Go Fish." Levi picked up a card; a three. He placed the two cards down and waited for Zoe to make her move. "Levi, do you have a nine?" Levi reluctantly handed over his nine, much to Zoe's delight.

There was a thump and the click-clack of nails hitting the hardwood floor as Moony raced forwards, skidding on the slick wood and sliding directly into their game, scattering cards everywhere. All three children watched as Moony deposited a relatively large moth onto a pile of cards; if cats were capable of grinning, Levi was certain that Moony would be doing exactly that.

Zoe immediately thrust her face right up next to the bug, peering at it in fascination. "Look at the colors!" she said, her eyes widening and a grin breaking out on her face. "Such a light green it is!" She turned and looked at Levi, her face going serious. "Levi, can I borrow a knife?"

Levi stared at her, disbelief flooding through him, "Of course not you moron," he hissed. Zoe stuck her bottom lip out in an attempt to get Levi to consent to her wishes. "Cut it up at your own house," he growled as he started to pick the cards up, carefully avoiding the moth and the cards it touched.

Irvin joined him after a moment, nudging the moth towards Zoe before picking up the ones that Levi refused to touch. Moony, oblivious to Levi's apparent disgust at her prize, wound around the boy, purrs rumbling through her body as she crawled all over him and the other two, eliciting laughter from Zoe and an amused smirk from Irvin.

As five o'clock neared Zoe dragged them outside to explore through the garden patches that Levi's mother had planted. They wandered amongst the bright flowers and dirt for nearly half an hour before Levi's mother poked her head out, calling that Zoe and Irvin should start heading home. Levi spent fifteen solid minutes scrubbing his hands with scalding hot water and nearly half of a small container of soap as he rid himself of the dirt that had gathered on his hands.

_There is nothing worse than being filthy,_ Levi thought as he dried his hands, _or maybe there are worse things._

* * *

_Levi cracked his knuckles at a leisurely pace as he took silent pleasure in the man's every flinch, which occurred at every jarring crack. He kept his face smooth and blank; it was best for intimidation in most cases and it prevented people from predicting when he was going to strike. Levi twisted his heel, grinding the man's shattered ankle down in the ground, gradually applying more pressure and sharp presses downwards until the man was withering in pain._

_The man let out a cry of pain, "Stop, stop, I'll tell you what you need to know!" Levi raised his foot from the man's ankle and stared down at him, expressionless gray eyes meeting blue eyes that ere glazed with pain and fear. _Pathetic,_ Levi thought,_ it's just a broken ankle and a few broken ribs. I haven't even broken out the knife yet._ Levi rolled his eyes, "You've got nothing worth my time to tell me, you piece of shit. I already know what you're blathering on about."_

_His leg shot up and connected with the man's face, smashing it against the brick wall with a sickening thud. Levi pulled his leg back and kicked the man in the chest several times before kicking him in the face again, the heel of his boot smashing down on top of the man's head. Levi grabbed the man's chestnut hair and he pulled his head up right._

_"Disgusting," Levi muttered before he rammed his knee up into the man's chin. There was a crunch and blood began to leak out of the corners of the man's mouth. "Go back to whatever shit city you came from," he snarled, dropping the man's head and walking away, a dark sense of satisfaction spreading throughout him, warming him even in the freezing air._

Levi sat up in his bed, breathing hard. He thought that the weird dreams had stopped too; the last one had been last April. The usual forewarning that consisted of agonizing headaches and nausea hadn't been near as intense as they had been last time. Levi had hardly even paid them mind since they were faint, barely even there. Levi put his hands in his head, kneading his temples thoughtfully,_ why can't they just pick a pattern already?_

* * *

The colored pencil slowly moved across the paper, a dull brown skin colored streak following in its wake as it moved across the paper in a wavering, inexperienced line. An image was slowly translating itself from Levi's mind onto the paper; they were nowhere near the same in quality but it was at least similar in appearance.

The drawing was near-human in appearance but there were differences between it and a human. The beast had a set of teeth on either side of its mouth that were set slightly above and diagonal to the front pair; it did not have lips; the skin was unblemished and devoid of normal gender-defining characteristics; it was muscular, unlike the smaller, chubbier ones that he had absently drawn in the background.

_A giant_, Levi thought as he traded the light brown for a darker brown in order to attempt to draw the hair as neatly as possible. _No… not a giant… a Titan._

The thought struck a spark of dark excitement inside of him, but it was quickly dulled by another more depressing thought; _school starts again in two weeks._

* * *

"I don't wanna go to school," Zoe groaned as she pressed her face into the blanket that they had stretched out in her yard. Irvin smiled in amusement and leaned back onto his elbows. "Nobody wants to Zoe, but we go anyways." Zoe sighed but fell silent anyways, kicking her legs absently above her as she plucked at the blades of grass in front of her face.

Her golden retriever, Bean, let out a woof and romped over to them, a large bundle of muscle, golden fur, and dog slobber. Levi instinctively shied away from the dog's mouth; the thought of the sheer amount of germs that a dog's mouth could contain was an instant turnoff. Irvin noted his discomfort and laughed, "You do realize that a dog's mouth is cleaner than a person's, right?"

Levi slowly turned his head to Irvin, a look of embarrassment and irritation crossing his face, "'Course I knew that…" he muttered, sticking his hand out to stroke Bean's glossy fur. "Suuuuure you did," Zoe sang out, "After all, you know _everything_." Levi looked at Zoe, who had turned her head so that she could see him better.

"Of course I do you idiot," he deadpanned, "Certainly more than you do." Zoe scoffed at that but didn't bother with a retort; they both knew by now that nearly every conflict between the two of them ended in either a stalemate or Irvin breaking the argument up when the older blond boy felt that the conversation had grown too heated.

Zoe sighed and let her head drop back onto the ground, "I really don't wanna go back to school."

"Too bad that it starts tomorrow then," Levi said his voice void of remorse. He gently pushed Bean towards Zoe and the heavy dog planted three feet firmly on her back.

"Bean!" the shriek burst forth form Zoe and neither Irvin nor Levi could resist laughing as the girl struggled to get the retriever off of her without much success; Bean instead decided to pull his last paw up so that he was precariously balanced on Zoe's back.

"Oh God," Zoe groaned, "He's going to crush me! I can already feel my guts squishing together! Irvin, if this kills me, make sure that Levi cleans it all up!" Irvin smirked deviously, "Sounds like an excellent plan." Levi's eyes widened in horror and he shot up, pressing his hands against Bean's solid side and pushing as hard as he could, hoping he could get Bean off before Zoe could have the chance to be crushed.

* * *

Lev awoke on the morning of October the fifth, his head pounding and his body trembling with the cold that had seeped into his bones. He shivered violently and silently prayed that his mother and father wouldn't come in to check on him for another hour or two yet. Maybe by then everything would have passed.

His head pulsed violently in time to his thundering heart and black spots were dancing in his eyes. His spine locked out and every sense grew fuzzy and indistinct until it felt like he had been torn from his body again, connected only by a thin thread to reality as he was thrown into whatever awaited him in the darkness.

_A slight breeze stirred the otherwise still air, providing a respite to the relentless heat that beat down on them. Practice during noon had been cancelled in favor of exercises later in the day, when it had sufficiently cooled down enough for practice to resume. "The weather is certainly all over the place for this time of the year isn't it?" Levi turned and looked as Eren strode up, his hazel eyes glittering as bright as always._

_Levi shrugged and leaned forwards till he could put his elbow on the parapet, resting his chin on his hand and staring out at the rolling fields beyond. Nearly a month had gone by since Eren had joined the Survey Corps; the 57__th__ Expedition was scheduled to begin as soon as the new recruits joined them. Levi found it absurd, bringing kids barely out of training directly into the field, even if every one of them had been at Trost._

_Eren walked up and sat on a raised section of the parapet next to Levi, pointedly staring forwards and not looking at him. "I'm assuming you want to talk about something other than the unseasonable weather," Levi said dryly. Levi watched as Eren looked away, suddenly awkward and blushing furiously. "W-well…" Eren said, turning his head even further away and his voice dropping into an incoherent mumble as he continued with his sentence._

_"Yes, that's alright," Levi said, "I don't mind if you don't talk audibly. Honestly, people seem to get stupider with every generation." Perhaps he shouldn't quite be saying that since he was what, nine or ten years older than Eren; some would argue that the age gap couldn't quite classify them into different generations but Levi didn't really give a shit._

_Eren took a deep breath and turned back to face Levi, looking downright pale despite his tan, although Levi wasn't quite sure whether it was from the heat or the fact that Eren had somehow managed to terrify the shit out of himself, which Levi wouldn't have put past the boy. He fought down a smirk as he watched the boy open and close his mouth a few times, obviously unsure of how to proceed with the conversation._

_"Well," Levi said, "Are you planning on waiting till I die of old age before you say something?" Eren sucked in another breath, the corners of his mouth quirking up in a partial smile._

_"Well…" Eren began again, "I-I… Corporal, I really like you, I-" Levi cut Eren up before the rest of his words could come tumbling forth, which the boy was obviously working up too. "Hm, so I guess you don't want that hot Titan date," Levi said in his dry humorous way. "Congratulations brat, come to my room tonight. And no, I do not sleep with minors if that is what you're thinking."_

_Eren's mouth opened and closed a few times in shock and by the time he managed to form a coherent sentence in his head Levi was already gone. _He's cute, I'll give him that_, Levi thought as he walked back to his room; _he still needs some work though…

_The door shut behind him with a soft click and he glared at the pile of paperwork that Hanji had piled onto his desk. _Damn it Hanji,_ he thought, irritation replacing the rare glow of happy warmth that had built up within him._

**Chapter 7: End**

* * *

Hoorah for another chapter~ Although I'm about ready to crash right here, right now at my desk and sleep for 12 hours because 5:30 is so close right now -_- But I had to get this done! With softball workouts and a practice later today (I really wanted to say tomorrow even though its almost 1...), I probably wouldn't have had time to type this out earlier. Zzzzz... so tired... Plus it's a pain in the ass to type with two fingers taped together (I'm just glad that it's just jammed and not broken. Typing with a cast would be a total bitch).

Aaanyways, thanks to all of you, my splendid readers/followers for deciding to read this story~ I hope you continue to enjoy it!


	8. The Reunion with Words

**Together Again**

**Chapter 8: The Reunion with Words**

* * *

_Levi stood on top of the Female Titan, who had been brought to her knees, the thick metal cables and poles locking her joints and holding her in place. She had her hands up, covering her neck unfortunately; they had already tried to cut through them but the Titan had simply grown a hard bone-like structure across her hands, preventing them from cutting through._

_"Oh right," Levi said after a long silence, "I wanted to ask you something. Is it okay if we cut off your hands and legs?" He stared down at the top of the blond head, his usual blank demeanor masking the disgust and contempt for the creature he stood upon. "They'll grow back right? I'm talking about _your_ limbs, not the Titan's." He tightened his grip on his blades as he continued, "We need to alive, after all…" The Titan gave a start beneath him, her head slowly moving upwards for a moment._

_Levi felt her head shift and a scream tore itself from her throat, echoing throughout the forest and piercing the men's ears, sending massive gusts of wind everywhere. They stood there, momentarily deafened and dumbfounded, before they registered the sound of pounding feet hitting the forest floor._

_A small 5 Meter class Titan appeared from the gloom, moving in a dead sprint as it raced over to the Female Titan, latching onto her fleshy leg and beginning to chew. More and more Titan began to appear and with some reluctance Levi retreated a safe distance away. He watched as the horde of Titans ripped at the Female type, slowly devouring her._

_"The enemy was willing to sacrifice everything," Irvin murmured, "I didn't expect the enemy to destroy itself along with the evidence by making Titans devour it." Irvin sighed and opened his eyes wide, "Retreat, men! Back into the formation! We return to Karanes!" Smoke signal rounds went off and they began to move throughout the forest, in the direction where they had initially come from._

_A ferocious roar echoed throughout the forest, both human yet not at the same time. Levi turned his head slightly. "That voice… Don't tell me…" _Don't tell me that they're dead… No, maybe he finally made his mind up. Maybe they finally trust him._ He spun around in the air and shot back to the origin of the sound. He raced through the forest, sunlight dappling his path and his body as he flew through the trees, faster than he probably should have been going. That didn't stop him from seeing their bodies._

_Gunter Schulz, hanging upside down, blood leaking out of his mouth and from the gash on the back of his nearly-severed neck, his eyes staring sightless forwards._

_Erd Gin, who lay on the ground which was slowly turning red from the blood that flowed thickly from the two halves of his body that had been unceremoniously flung to the ground, his blank eyes staring upwards as blood trickled from his slack mouth._

_Oluo Bossard, who was lying on his side on the ground, his back and neck bent at odd angles, blood leaking from a dozen lacerations hidden beneath his blood-stained clothing._

_Petra Ral, who had been thrown up against a tree, her back and neck broken, her head thrown back with a stream of blood flowing from her mouth and nose, and a trail of blood from a meter or so up the tree leading down to her limp body._

_Levi hung above her corpse for a moment; with each body he had passed his eyes grew colder and his thoughts turned blank from the white-hot rage that flowed within him._

_But it wasn't just rage; it was despair and sorrow and guilt because they were dead because of his orders, because he had somehow subconsciously prevented them from completely trusting Eren, because he had ultimately led them to their deaths, like others before them. But these people were different; they had long since ceased to be nameless faces and people who had died performing their duty. No, they had become comrades, companions, even friends in Levi's own cold, stoic way._

_And now they were dead, their mutilated bodies slowly cooling. Levi blinked and tore his gaze away from Petra's body, back to where the sounds of fighting and inhuman roars were coming from. He had known it since Eren's initial roar but he had foolishly deluded himself into thinking for even a split second that maybe, just maybe, they were all alive and they had trusted Eren enough to let him transform. But no, they were dead now, dead before their lives had truly begun. Levi clenched his swords, _the memory of you will push me onwards, and I _will_ kill them all!

Levi awoke in a cold sweat, his eyes dry with numbing horror. Oh God, their faces, flashing in his mind, one after the other, repeating again and again and again, endlessly for who knows how long. Gunter, Erd, Oluo, Petra; their faces flashing in his eyes, a mixture of alive and dead, their faces tight with life and anger and their faces slack and void of everything but the reflection of the world around them.

Their names were in his head, on the tip of his tongue, present in every fiber of his being; he knew what seemed like everything about them and while he couldn't recall meeting them before he felt like he had. It was a terrifying thing, feeling like his thoughts, his memories, and maybe even his mind weren't even his own to control, not anymore.

* * *

School began the next day; Zoe was not in Levi's class this year, which was unfortunate but expected nevertheless. What Levi did not expect was to see four very familiar and very much alive faces when he walked into his classroom.

There was a short girl with short orange hair and vibrant amber eyes; there was a somewhat tall boy with ash-blond hair that turned darker underneath, with stormy gray eyes; the second boy had long blond hair pulled up into a ponytail and light brown eyes; the last boy had tanned skin, dark brown hair that was smoothed to a point at the back of his head, and dark brown eyes.

Levi froze when he saw them; they were mirror images of the people he had seen in his dreams the other night and although they were younger there was no mistaking them. The orange-haired girl, no, _Petra_, turned and spotted him, a broad grin quickly appearing on her face before she flounced up, oblivious to his startled expression. "Hi, I'm Petra Ral! What's your name?"

"Petra," the ash-blond boy called out, "Not everyone is as happy to see you as you are to see them!" Petra turned around, her eyes blazing, "Oh go bite your tongue a bit Oluo," she snipped back before turning back to Levi. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the little group that she, Oluo, Erd, and Gunter had formed, chattering excitedly the entire time.

Levi could barely understand what was going on; surely these people weren't real. Maybe he was one of those-future seers, which would make sense since none of the four seemed to recognize him. He was still numb with shock when he got off the bus that afternoon. The shock quickly turned to guilt when he remembered the entirety of his dream; they had died in part because of his foolish mistakes.

* * *

Carla looked at the stick again, double checking because what she was seeing wasn't quite connecting with her brain. She stared at it, a ball of excitement slowly building up in the pit of her stomach before it burst. Carla jolted up and dropped the pregnancy test in the waste bin, scrubbing her hands till they were the color of red lobster shells as the spark of realization passed through her head.

She jerked the door open and came face-to-face with Grisha, who had his hand stretched out for the doorknob. They stared at each other for a few moments before Carla beamed and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his frame. "I'm pregnant," she whispered, her voice hoarse with excitement, "We're finally going to have a child."

She felt Grisha smile into the top of her head and he pulled back so he could kiss her on the temple. "That's fantastic news!" he said, a grin of his own matching Carla's. "Don't even ask me when I'll be due," Carla said, "because I have absolutely no idea." Grisha shook his head in bemusement, "Do you really think that matters right now?" Carla looked up at him and smiled, "No, not at all."

* * *

Levi scribbled on his paper absently as he thought about everything that had happened in the last two months. His mother was pregnant again, which brought Levi a pang of hope every time he thought about it. _I'm sure this time will be the one;_ he thought furiously, _I'll only be seven years older, that's not too bad._

That line of thoughts occupied his mind about half of the time, warring constantly with the thoughts of Petra, Erd, Gunter, and Oluo. The guilt, no matter how ridiculous and unfounded it seemed to be to him, was ever-present and consuming; it ate away at Levi till he could barely stand it. He quickly grew accustomed to throwing up walls and barriers so they couldn't see the guilt and agony he felt first thing when he saw them as soon as he walked into the classroom.

Making himself into a cold, unreachable person was second nature; it had just needed a bit of practice before Levi had everything under control. So long as he kept them from knowing the burdens of his thoughts and dreams all would be well.

He listened as Petra and Oluo argued with each other, going on about something involving the benefits of knocking Oluo's teeth out so that he wouldn't bite his tongue constantly, a topic that brought an expression of horror and mock anger to Oluo's face. Erd and Gunter listened to their banter, occasionally adding a comment to the argument.

"I'm telling you Oluo, if you just let us wrap your tongue up with some bubble wrap or something like that you'd never bite your tongue again." Oluo shook his head violently from side to side, "Better than knocking my teeth out but I'm still not letting a brat like you near my mouth." Petra smiled at him then, cocking her head to the side before she punched him in the arm.

Oluo bit his tongue again when she did that, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth. Levi wordlessly handed him a box of tissues, which he had learned to keep handy around Oluo.

He knew that Oluo had picked up the habit of calling people 'brat' from him, similar to many other things that Oluo had adopted from him, ranging from his hairstyle, which had been cut so that the underside about halfway down his head was shaved, leaving the rest to hang over the buzz a bit, to his new patters of speech and comments.

Levi also couldn't help but notice that Oluo looked at Petra in a way akin to how his mother and father looked at each other; loving and warm and so gently that had his gaze been physical a person could not have felt it. _It's strange,_ Levi thought as he watched the two bicker, _it's so obvious he loves her… I wonder why she hasn't noticed._

* * *

By early December the Jaeger household had learned that the child would be born sometime during April; they pinned the expected due date at April the fourth. Levi sighed as he stared out the window in the living room, watching the world as it was blanketed with snow. School had been cancelled due to the icy roads and the thickly falling snow, which showed no signs of letting up anytime soon.

He could hear his mother humming in the kitchen as she made hot chocolate, the soft clink of glasses and the hiss of boiling water drifting through the house. Levi sighed; April was four long, dull months away. But he had waited this long for his little brother, so surely he could wait just a bit longer.

**Chapter 8: End**

* * *

**Two very important notes for you to read:**

**One:** yes, I am aware that it is taking a while for Eren to appear, but you have to understand that I am also trying to get Levi at an age where he can understand what has happened without being too overloaded. After all, not many five year old children think that they're reincarnated. However, never fear, Eren shall be here in the next chapter~

**Two:** yes, I did have to write the squad and their deaths. Why? Because they are relatively important in the next chapter, so long as I can get everything to work out of course -_-

Expect the next chapter to come out sometime tomorrow afternoon and nothing on Saturday at all. Thank you all for reading this story and for all your wonderful feedback!


	9. Eren

**Together Again**

**Chapter 9: Eren**

* * *

It was early February when Gunter dropped a book onto Levi's desk one morning. It was thick, bound with smooth black leather with fancy golden writing on it. "Okay Gunter," Petra said, "Who'd you have to beat up in order to get some musty old book?"

Gunter put on a face of mock hurt, "I didn't have to hurt anyone actually. My father is a preacher so he's gave me this book of religions. I guess he thinks I'm going to replace him one of these years." Oluo let out a strangled-sounding laugh, obviously trying hard not to laugh too much at Gunter.

"What church does your dad run again?" Oluo asked, "'Cause I'll make sure to stay well away from that one when we get older." Gunter responded by punching Oluo in the arm, which had quickly become a favorite spot for Erd, Gunter, and Petra to hit him at.

Levi raised an eyebrow, "So why did you bring it?" Gunter returned to his former sitting position and shrugged, "I dunno," he said, "Maybe because I could get one of you guys to explain some things and concepts, 'cause this book is a total pain to read and understand by yourself."

Levi raised his hand to his temples, rubbing slowly as he listened to the conversation, trying to ease a building headache that was setting in. Erd dropped his backpack down next to Gunter's seat with a loud thump; the blond boy's buy was forever five to ten minutes behind everyone else's for some reason, even though there were fewer children that had to be picked up.

"Gunter, I'm surprised, you're actually reading something!" Erd said, his voice light and joking. Gunter flicked Erd, "Yeah Erd, shockingly enough I actually read occasionally." Erd stuck his tongue out and dropped into a chair, "Well go on, fill me in, what exactly did I miss?"

"Well," Petra said, launching herself into an explanation, "Gunter's dad gave him a book on religion and he needs our help with some parts of it apparently so we're going to help him not understand a single word we read!"

Gunter looked over at Petra, mouth open in objection. "Kidding, kidding," Petra giggled. Gunter frowned and shook his head slowly from side to side. "So what are you reading about right now?" Oluo said, leaning forwards. "Reincarnation," Gunter said.

Levi looked up for a moment, his headache growing by the moment, "… Reincarnation?"

"Yeah, it's about how people are born in one era and then their souls or something are reborn a period of time later. The people who wrote this book say that they act the same and in some cases even look the same." Levi winced as a sharp pain went through his head; it went unnoticed by his four friends, who were continued to listen to Gunter. "They also wrote something that went along the lines of 'when a newborn cries it's because they're remembering their past life.'"

A bolt of white-hot agony ripped through Levi and his spine locked out instantly. It as like two suns had imploded in his head, just behind his eyes, masking everything in a blinding-white light that pierced his head and made him cry out in agony. Sounds suddenly became dim and incoherent, as if he was hearing them from deep underwater.

"Levi… Levi, are you alright… Levi!" Another bolt of raw agony tore through his mind and his body jerked backwards, his mind and body falling together into the darkness that had blotted out his vision, crowding out the pale, anxious faces that loomed overhead.

* * *

_Levi spun through the air, twisting so he could keep his feet underneath him as he hit a tree and pushed off of it, leaping back into the air. His 3-D Maneuvering Gear hissed, propelling him forwards, faster than what was probably wise as he raced through the trees. The sound of crashes came from ahead, piercing inhuman roars filling the air and echoing throughout the forest._

There were few Titans left at this point; over the last three years they had slowly eradicated them with the help of Annie, Ymir, and Historia's knowledge of the hellish creatures. All it had taken was fire, swords, and well-aimed blows by both the soldiers and the Titan-shifters for them to quickly take the upper hand.

The Titan's, whose body temperatures were already at the degree to boil water, only required a single spark or ember to land on them in order for them to more or less spontaneously combust, splattering everywhere before evaporating into nothing. Levi considering it crude and disgusting but it was efficient and inexpensive. Hanji had been placed in charge of developing incendiary rounds for the cannons, which had taken a massive toll against the Titans who haunted along the outsides of the walls.

There was a massive crash and Levi saw one of the trees in the distance sway before toppling over slowly, its massive size and bulk holding it upright for a few moments before momentum brought it crashing down, scraping at the nearby trees. _The Forest of Giant Trees,_ Levi thought, _who would have thought we would have ended up back here._

He swung around a tree, free falling through the air for a moment before sending his hooks flying again, pulling his body forwards. _Hold on Eren, just a few moments longer,_ he thought. He could almost see them now, the flash of skin and muscle through the trees, standing out against the browns and greens of the forest.

Levi shot forwards one last time and dropped down onto a branch and stopped, watching for a moment now that he could clearly see without the trees blocking his vision. Eren had his fists raised and his back turned towards Levi as he faced the other Titans, six of them all together. The six Titans differed from regular Titans; they were leaner and muscled and their eyes gleamed with human intelligence instead of the blank, ravenous look of the Titans.

They shifted slowly, wary of Eren, moving around him in an attempt to form a circle around him. Eren turned before the smallest one, a 7 meter, could exit his peripheral. He lunged forwards, jaws gaping and arms outstretched. With one smooth movement he grabbed the smaller shifter and whipped it around so that he was still facing the other shifters as he buried his teeth into the neck savagely, ripping through muscle and sinew.

The Titan let out a scream of pure agony as its body shuddered. Eren raised his head, a body sticking out of his teeth; it was a boy, unconscious and hanging limply in Eren's teeth. There was a sickening crunch as Eren's teeth clamped down on the boy and blood went flying.

Levi let out the breath he had unconsciously been holding and he clenched his swords in his hands, crouching down low. He pushed off fell through the air for a moment before he deployed his hooks, sinking them into one of the 15 meter shifters. A wall of hot flesh slammed into him and he was flung through the air, slamming into a tree trunk and lying there stunned and winded, blacking out momentarily.

When he came to, Eren was in his human form in front of him, shaking his shoulder frantically, his eyes wide with fury and fright. There was a roar and Eren turned, raising his hand to his mouth and leaping down, transforming within seconds after leaping away. Levi blacked out again, coming to again when the tree shook beneath him. Levi rolled over onto his stomach, wincing at the pain in his ribs and leg, the same one he had injured the last time he had been in the forest.

Eren was below, his Titan form lying limp against the bottom of the tree as a 15 meter shifter raised its fists again and again, slamming them into Eren's steaming body. The forest was quiet except for the sound of the other Titan-shifter's roars, which echoed through the forest, wordless despair and rage filling it completely.

Levi stood shakily; his right leg could barely support any weight, his ribs on the right side blazed with pain, and his head was spinning madly. He clenched his swords again and let his body fall forwards, straight towards the Titan-shifter, his eyes burning with fury and his teeth bared in a snarl.

_I'll save you Eren!_ He screamed inside of his head,_ you won't die like the rest!_ Steel bit through flesh and part of the Titan's neck flew away from the rest of it. It stiffened and fell forwards, its body steaming and shivering madly. Levi hit the ground and stumbled forwards, head spinning and black spots dancing in his eyes.

_Concussion, probably a broken leg and some ribs too,_ he thought, _Hanji would love to get a chance to dissect that body before it dissipates._ His thoughts were running, randomly cobbled together and half-coherent except for one goal; get to Eren. His Titan form was already disappearing, leaving a small body to half slide, half crawl down the ravaged Titan form.

Levi fell to his knees next to Eren's limp body, his hands somehow finding their way to his shoulders, his forehead falling down to the other man's chest. He turned his head to the side; no sound, no movement, no heartbeat. There was nothing left but an empty shell, bloody and broken.

The tears that Levi had held back for so long fell then, breaking the countless dams and walls he had built and fortified in order to hide it all from prying eyes. _This world truly is a cruel one_, Levi thought, cradling the body close. _Eren… did you finally find peace?_

* * *

Levi opened his eyes, the sterile white surrounding him being momentarily blinding. _A hospital…?_ He thought, _no… the nurse's office._ He sat up slowly his hand moving to his head, touching his forehead and temple with the lightest of touches. _ I remember… I remember everything… The agony, the terror, the fury, the sense of being alone… I remember _Eren.

The sound of a doorknob being fumbled with dragged him from his thoughts and he looked up as four familiar faces spilled into the room. "Levi!" Petra cried, rushing forwards and grabbing his hand in a bone-crushing grip, "OhmygodI'msogladyou'realrightwethoughtyouweregoin gtodieohmygoddon'tscareuslikethat!" Levi blinked, startled at the girl's rushed outburst. "She means you worried us," Oluo translated and Levi gave a small half-smile.

"Sorry…" he said, "I was just feeling a little sick. I'm better now though." His friends smiled with relief and Levi offered a smile back. _I always regretted not doing that more often before…_ he thought,_ this time though I won't mess anything up._

* * *

Levi sat in the waiting room, agitated in his impatience. His mother had gone into labor earlier that morning, at nearly three o'clock. His father had left him with the Smiths, who had then kindly dropped him off around noon. That had been a little over an hour ago and Levi was about to go mad.

The waiting room was dull; he had already flipped through the magazines, barely even bothering to read a single sentence within them before tossing them aside in his irritation. The doors swung open and Levi looked up, disappointment crashing down on him when he saw that it was just a doctor and not his father

Levi sighed and leaned back in the uncomfortably stiff chair, resting his head against the wall and the back of the chair. His foot bounced up and down and he tapped his fingers on the arm of the wooden chair, mindlessly tapping out one rhythm after another.

The doors creaked open again and Levi jerked his head up, offering a small smile when he saw that it was his father. His father walked up and sat beside him, his face glowing with happiness. "Your little brother is so cute," he said after a moment, "Your mother is ready for visitors if you want to come and see." Levi glanced at his father, the look clearly saying _of course I want to see him, are you nuts?_

They stood and pushed their way through the heavy wooden doors leading to the maternity ward, striding quickly down the sterile white halls. Levi struggled to keep up with his father, taking nearly three steps for every stride of his father, but he still managed to remain close. They turned down a hall and stopped at room 22.

His father opened the door and Levi walked in, apprehension building up inside of him. _Eren…_ the thought was a mere whisper in his head,_ Eren, is it finally you?_ His mother looked up and smiled softly, cradling a small bundle wrapped in a light blue blanket against her chest. Levi walked closer, his steps slow and unsure now. He peered down into the blue blanket, mesmerized by the tiny sleeping face bundled within.

"Look Eren," his mother murmured, "Your brother is here to see you." She turned to Levi, smiling softly, her eyes shining with exhaustion and happiness. "It's a nice name, don't you think? After all, that's all you would say for a long time when you first started talking." Levi stretched his hand out, trembling with anticipation.

His finger brushed Eren's tiny fist and the sleeping boy stirred, opening his eyes blearily and looking up at Levi. His mother wordlessly passed Eren to Levi, both of his parents watching Levi as he held his brother, ensnared by the vibrant green-and-hazel eyes, so full of life once more. Eren smiled up at Levi and cooed softly, soft baby noises passing his lips as he looked up at Levi.

Levi bowed his head, shoulders shaking as tears slowly dripped down his face and onto the pale blue blankets. _ You're late Eren…_ Levi thought._ I've been waiting for two thousand years for you. Through the horror and despair of my first life and the confusion and heartache of the second I've waited for you. Waiting for so very long… waiting through the nightmare of the lives I had to live without you. I never stopped waiting; how could I? Now today, after so long, I can finally return what I never did before. This time I'll return your heart and mine along with it._ The tears fell thickly now, Levi's shoulders shaking hard, but his sobs were silent.

_Eren saluted, standing tall and proud, a grin spread across his face as he looked at Levi. "I swore Corporal," he said, "I swore I'd come back! Just like I swore I'd always stand by your side! Trust me Corporal. If you can't trust anyone else, trust my word."_

Levi fought to regain his composure, next to impossible at the sheer joy he felt. _You'll be able to use it to make your own happiness. And this time, I'll be there every step of the way._

**Chapter 9: End**

* * *

**An explanation to the first memory;** I kind of felt like writing something a tad bit depressing, plus I wanted to show how Eren died. I also spent about three hours deciding whether to use that one or another longer, more-drawn out version which was almost completely different except for the whole Eren-dying part.

**This is technically the last chapter** although I am going to write an epilogue-esque chapter, which will be uploaded sometime on the 15th-16th, being mostly about growing up. It might be a long one, depending on how I'm feeling and how many ideas I can come up with.

I am in the process of writing/developing 2-3 stories, all of which are currently about Shingeki no Kyojin and starring Ereri. One is going to be a little more... graphic...

Anyways, thanks to all who clicked on this story, this chapter, or a link that led you to this.

(I still have to find the link to the doujin that this was based off of so it may take me a while to wade through the blog(s) I think I remember seeing it on)


	10. Growing Up

**Together Again**

**Chapter 10: Growing Up**

* * *

**-First Year-**

Levi pulled a bottle out of the fridge, staring at it for a moment before turning to Eren. "I think I heat this up but I have absolutely no idea…" he murmured, turning to the microwave placing the flat-bottomed bottle in, setting the timer for twenty seconds. "It's milk either way though, so what's the difference?"

Eren nodded, almost as if in agreement, but that could have just been an unconscious little head bob. The timer beeped and Levi pulled the microwave door open, pulling the plastic bottle out and setting it down on the table floor. He turned back to Eren and picked him up; stretching on his tiptoes to get him out of the highchair that their parents had put him in.

_I really need to start growing_, Levi thought irately as he sat down on the ground, Eren cradled in his arm. He grabbed the bottle and spun it around in his hand. "Don't say I don't try," he grumbled, smiling softly as Eren's tiny hands grabbed the hand holding the bottle.

* * *

"Oh my God, he is so _cute_!" Zoe said for what seemed like the millionth time as she poked Eren's face. Levi rolled his eyes, "Yeah, certainly cuter than _you._" Zoe let out a squeak of indignation and whipped around, her finger still outstretched and dangerously close to Levi's eye; he found himself staring down her finger, going cross-eyed trying to keep it in his vision.

"It's a miracle Petra likes you," she said sternly, "You have the disposition of a snake or a badger; mean and rude." Levi snorted but moved a few feet away nevertheless, to ensure the safety of his eyes if nothing else. Irvin smiled and watched as Zoe shot Levi one last demonic glare before she turned back around to prod Eren a bit more.

Levi sighed, wondering how Eren managed to put up with the eccentric girl's incessant poking and prodding and pulling. He glanced at Eren and smiled when he saw hazel eyes staring straight at him. "Levi," Eren stretched a hand out towards his brother, opening and closing his fist as he called out for his brother for the first time.

"Rats and I was hoping I would get him to say something intelligent, like 'onomatopoeia' for his first word!" Levi turned and looked at Zoe, "What the heck is onomatopoeia?" Irvin's eyes widened and his mouth dropped in horror, "Don't ask, don't ask, she'll be explaining for hours!"

Four hands instantly clamped themselves over Zoe's face, preventing the girl from launching into a three-hour explanation of the definition, usage, and origin of onomatopoeia.

* * *

Levi held Eren up, staring into the younger boy's eyes. "Eren," he said, his voice stern, "We do not pull on the cat's tail, okay?" The two boys stared at each other for several long moments, gray meeting hazel. Eren's eyes started to water and his lip trembled, "I'm sowwy Levi," he whimpered as he scrubbed at his eyes.

Levi dropped his head,_ why does he have to be so freaking cute?_ Levi sighed and hugged Eren, absently rubbing the little boy's head. "Be quite," he mumbled, "I'm not mad at you…" Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's neck and Levi could feel the other boy smile into his shoulder. _This is going to be a challenge to say the least…_

* * *

**-Second Year-**

When March 30th rolled around again Zoe had to be dissuaded from bringing trick candles to Eren's birthday. "You should have let me bring the trick candles," Zoe hissed softly as she passed Levi by at one point but she had disappeared before he could get in a swift flick or step on the foot. Eren tottered over to Levi, tugging on his new panda hat.

"Levi, Levi," he sang out with childish pronunciation, "Candle!" He thrust the blue-and-white striped candle up in the air, gripped between fingers dotted with icing. Levi plucked the candle out of Eren's grasp; thankfully the boy had blown it out before bringing it to him. They certainly didn't need Eren tripping with a lit candle in his hands. "Thank you Eren," he said, squatting down and ruffling Eren's hair. Eren beamed and dashed away again, disappearing within moments, hidden behind legs and objects.

* * *

Levi's parents sat him down in May in order to begin what they thought would be a long, difficult explanation, which they fully expected Levi to be upset over. "Levi… we've been meaning to tell you this for a while now…" His mother looked nervous as she spoke, her brown eyes looking anywhere but Levi. When she spoke again everything came out in a rush; she obviously wanted to get this over as quick as humanly possible.

"See, the thing is you are actually adopted. Your parents died in a car wreck two months after you were born and you were placed into our custody. We never told you because we weren't quite sure how you would take it." Levi nodded, "I know. We were talking about genetics a few weeks ago during some down time. I just compared our features."

_Of course, I can't exactly tell them that I know because I've had visions of a past life. I'm just glad that we aren't actually siblings; that would have been cruel almost._ His mother and father sat and stared at him for a few moments. "Oh…" his father said, "And you're fine with that?" Levi shrugged, "Does it really matter? You're wonderful parents and all I've ever known. Why would I be mad?" His parents breathed shared sighs of relief at that, having gone far better than planned.

* * *

Eren came crawling into Levi's bed one September night, tears streaming down his face. Levi rolled over sleepily as Eren shook his arm gently, hiccupping and sniffling the entire time. "Eren… what is it? It's two o'clock in the morning…" He felt Eren's little fists grip his arm; he couldn't see Eren as the younger boy couldn't reach the light switch yet and Levi couldn't exactly turn his lamp on while lying on his stomach with Eren clinging onto his arm.

"Levi's not dead?" Eren whimpered and Levi froze for a few moments. "Of course not," he said, hoping his voice didn't sound shaky to the other boy. "C'mere, you can sleep in here tonight." Eren needed no further encouragement to clamber up onto the bed and crawl under the covers, settling himself so that his face was buried into Levi's chest, tiny hands clutching his shirt. Levi wrapped one arm around Eren and sighed, rubbing the back of Eren's head absently.

_Oh you have got to be kidding me. Why should he have to remember? Was sacrificing everything not enough?_

* * *

**-Third Year-**

"Levi," Eren said, standing at the end of the hallway, watching as Levi pulled on his shoes, "I want to go to school with you." Levi looked back at him, an expression of amusement spread across his face. He stood and grabbed his satchel, pulling it over his head and letting it fall into its usual place. He crouched down in front of Eren, putting his hand on top of Eren's head.

"You'll go to school with me," he said, "Just not for a few months. You start in August so you've still got four months of freedom left. Enjoy it while you can kiddo." Eren folded his arms across his chest, glaring at Levi, "Take me with you!" Levi sighed in exasperation and stood. "Not today Eren," he said, "But I'll be back later today and maybe I can see if one of Oluo's brothers wants to come over and play sometime this week. He's got a brother who is your age."

Eren still looked a little mutinous but he huffed and turned around anyways, "See you when you get home brother," he grumbled. Levi smirked and rolled his eyes, "Bye Eren. Try not to cause too much grief now." Eren turned around and gave him a devious smile, "Always."

* * *

When the first day of school came around there were two new kids waiting at the bus stop along with Irvin and Zoe, neither of which included Eren, although both were his age. The girl had dark gray eyes and black hair cut just beneath her chin. The boy had blond hair in a bowl-shape cut and bright blue eyes; he also had a book clutched in his hands.

"This is my cousin Armin," Irvin said, gesturing to the blond boy, who waved and smiled shyly at Eren and Levi when they walked up. "Mikasa here just moved in two houses down about a week ago." Mikasa looked at both of them and offered a small wave. Eren stepped up and stuck his hand out, first to Mikasa and then to Armin. "My name is Eren!" He proclaimed with bright eyes and a broad smile. Zoe shot Levi an amused smirk at Levi before burying herself back into her book on the species of insects indigenous to England.

* * *

The seizures started in November of that year. The first occurred at home; Eren had been sitting on the floor, carefully printing his letters on a piece of wide-ruled paper, when he had suddenly keeled over and began to spasm, limbs flying everywhere and eyes rolling up into the back of his head. He spent night in the hospital, being released by mid-afternoon the next day after nearly twenty-four hours of careful observation and some blood work. The doctors said it could be a one-time thing or it could develop into epilepsy; only time would tell which it was.

Levi let Eren sleep in his bed that night, holding the boy close to his own body. _I won't lose you again;_ Levi thought fiercely, _not after I just got you back!_

* * *

**-Sixth Year-**

It was cold in England in January of 2003; snow fell thick and ice kept cropping up on the roads. Snow plows were constantly on the move, spreading ice and shifting the snow so that cars could have a chance of getting to their destinations. Grisha had joked several times about breaking out his skies just so that he could get to work.

Eren lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The room was too hot despite the fact of that he fan was going full-force and that he had stripped down to a pair of shorts and thrown all of his covers off. He rolled onto his side, arm dangling over the side of the bed as_ blood, warm and sticky, slowly dripped from his fingers, falling to the floor without a pattern, splattering onto the cool stone tiles below._ Eren jerked upright, too fast, and his head went spinning. He listed over to the side and fell out of the bed, his body hitting the hardwood floors, spasming before it had even settled.

_Rain crashed down around them, the explosive claps of thunder drowning out all attempts of conversation. Lightning flashed outside, several times in rapid succession, a long roll of thunder accompanying it. Eren sighed and leaned his head against the cool stone walls, looking outside from his new room. There had been so much rain that the dungeons where he had slept had flooded, leaving them unusable till they could get the water out. Even Levi had deemed practice unsafe in this weather, instead leaving people to mill around aimlessly._

_He couldn't help but smile at the thought of the man; even the memory the courthouse couldn't change that. Eren sighed and shook his head before he fell back on his bed to stare at the ceiling. There was a soft knocking at the door. "Come on in," Eren called over the crash of thunder, not bothering to look at who was entering. "Eren…_

_"Eren… Eren…_ _Eren_, open your eyes!" He opened his eyes to see Levi standing above him, his face a mask of panic unlike the one in his dream.

* * *

The seizures continued throughout January; some contained images, some didn't. Eren was put on epilepsy medication after the fifth episode within two weeks. Luckily he had managed to neither injure himself nor damage anything when spasming.

Eren poked his head into Levi's room, staring as his brother sat in his chair, legs pulled up, feet against the wall, and a textbook balanced on his knees. He was facing the wall so Eren had a clear view of his side, except for his face, which was concealed by his right hand. "Levi…" Eren called out softly. He waited for a few moments, "Levi…"

No reaction. Eren stepped into the room, mindful of the occasionally creaky boards. He poked his head in front of Levi and smiled; Levi was asleep, breathing evenly in and out. Eren slowly left the room, returning to his own room to snatch his soft, thick green blanket before returning. He draped it over Levi, mindful about not covering his face, although it was extremely tempting. _There,_ Eren thought, _now he can sleep properly! Well, more or less._

* * *

_He turned, he watched, he shouldn't have. He should never have looked back; he should have kept going forwards, pretending he couldn't hear their shouts, their cries, their screams._

_The dark-haired man had been the first to go, dangling upside down, a slash in his broken neck spilling blood down to the forest floor below. The blond man had leapt through the air, going to the giant's right side. It, no, she, had reared up towards him, moving quickly despite her injuries. Her teeth closed around the blond and crunched through his body before tossing the two halves down to the ground._

_The giant stood and the orange-haired girl tried to maneuver out of the way; a foot smashed her into a tree and she slid down a few feet, a trail of blood following her down. The ashy-haired boy was the last, hit in the back and flung to the ground, dead before he even hit._

_Eren buried his head in his hands, tears burning their way to the surface. _Damn it,_ the thought resounded through his head, a silent scream. _I don't want to remember. I don't, I don't, I don't Idon'tIdon'tIdon'tIdon't want to!

_Hands found their way to his shoulders, shaking roughly, "Eren! Pull yourself together! Breaking down won't bring them back, it never does! Move forwards so that their deaths aren't in vain!" Eren clung to the body in front of him, breathing in the smell reminiscent of lavender. "Corporal…" he said, looking deep into the familiar gray eyes above him._

* * *

**-Seventh Year-**

The doorbell rang and Eren walked through the halls, beating Levi to the door by a step. He pulled the door open and couldn't help but blanch when he saw the visitors. Erd, Gunter, Oluo, and Petra were standing on the doorstep, smiling and laughing. "Hi guys," he said weakly, but thankfully they appeared not to notice. "Eren, you seem to get bigger every time I see you!" Petra shrieked, enveloping him in a lung-crushing hug.

"Petra… let go… can't breathe!" Petra let him go and grinned before ruffling his hair and flouncing through the house after her three companions. Eren looked up at Levi, whose gray eyes were fixed on him, blatantly worried. "Eren, are you alright?" Eren nodded and shut the door, keeping his eyes on the ground. He couldn't tell his brother that he had seen them die, time and time again, whether it was during a dream or during a seizure he relived those horrors, fresh and terrifying each and every time.

* * *

Moony died in August of that year. They had woken up to find her lying in her bed, her tail wrapped over her nose and closed eyes, her body stiff and cold. They buried her beneath the oak tree she used to clamber up and down, hunting for squirrels and birds that were stupid enough to venture far into her yard.

Eren sniffed quietly on his bed, rubbing his eyes furiously as tears kept falling. There was a knock at his door, "Eren… can I come in?" Eren didn't make a sound, instead opting to rub his eyes and face some more. Levi opened the door and shut it behind him with a quiet click. The mattress dipped beneath Eren and arms encircled him, pulling him close against Levi's body, warm and comforting in his distress.

Eren turned and buried his head into Levi's chest, gripping his brother's shirt, which quickly became damp with tears. Levi's hand stroked the back of Eren's head, gentle, rhythmic, and soothing. The tears came and went and Eren lapsed into a deep sleep, eyes heavy and emotionally and mentally fatigued.

* * *

"Levi, can you help me with my homework?" Levi turned back, pulling his jacket on and tucking his phone into his pocket. "Sorry Eren but I have to go do something real quick. I'll be back in about an hour, and then I'll help you." Eren cocked his head to the side, confusion running across his face, "Where are you going." Levi turned away so that Eren wouldn't see the sad look flash across his face for an instance. "Just out… I'll be back in a bit."

He grabbed his back, carefully swinging it onto his shoulder and opening the door, closing it firmly before he began the fifteen minute walk down to the graveyard. Ever since the Jaegers had told him about his biological parents he had taken to visiting them once a year; the tenth of December. The streets were quiet; few people felt like going outside with the weather so cold. His boots crunched against the snow-crusted sidewalks and Levi hummed softly, staring ahead without actually seeing.

He pushed the black metal gates open, shoving hard in order to get them to move despite the ice that had crusted the hinges. He walked down the paths, careful to not step in the grass. It had always felt like he was disrespecting the people buried below if he stepped on the earth that they were buried under.

The graveyard was always quiet at this time of year unless there was a funeral to be carried out; people placed their flowers and offerings before the weather turned most of the time. Levi stopped at the top of one of the small hills in the graveyard, looking down at the small pond in the dip below. Ice was stretching across it, forming a thin covering across the dark waters beneath. Levi turned away and continued to move till he stood in front of a tombstone that bore two names.

He crouched down on the ground, thankful that he had worn so many layers because he was certain that the stone path was freezing. He pulled his backpack off and unzipped it, extracting the wreath of white roses and orange poppies. He placed them on the grass in front of the marble stone. He inched forwards slowly until his gloved fingertips could touch the words and he mouthed them, speaking from memory. "'Notre promesse est notre lien…'"

A body sat down on the grass next to him and Levi glanced over, "Eren, I thought I told you that I would be back later." The boy looked at him, irritation and blatant defiance in his eyes. Eren snorted and looked at the marble tombstone, "Since when have I ever listened?" They sat in silence for several long moments before Eren spoke again. "So… why are you here?" Levi sighed and looked up at the sky; it was gray. It wouldn't be surprising if it started snowing before they left the graveyard.

"I'm visiting my parents…" Levi said quietly. He could see Eren's head jerk towards him out of his peripheral vision, but he continued to look at the mass of gray above. "No…" Eren said slowly, "We have the same parents… They're both alive too." Levi chuckled and shook his head, turning his head to look at Eren. "I was adopted after they died. We bear no blood relation." Eren's mouth dropped open in shock and he sat, staring at Levi for a long time.

"No… You've got to be lying…" Levi shrugged and moved to stand, "Ask Mom and Dad about it if you must. Now come on, we've got to get home before it starts to snow." A flake danced through the air in front of him as he held his hand out for Eren, smiling softly. "Come on," Levi said, "Surely it's not so bad. After all, this way is much better than how it was. How it could have been."

* * *

**-Eighth Year-**

Eren pulled the soft, fleecy gray scarf around his neck, breathing in the sweet scent of lavender and the sharper scent of lemons. He had 'borrowed' Levi's scarf for the time being and it smelled _amazing_. A strange combination, sure, but it was amazing nonetheless. Levi had noticed instantly but neither said anything about the scarf. _I really hate school_, Eren thought, disgust filling him at the sight of the bleak, depressing building that awaited his presence.

"Cheer up Eren!" Armin said, patting him on the shoulder, "Just think, one more year after this and we'll be in middle school!" Eren groaned, throwing his head back in mock horror, "That just means even more work!" Otto, Oluo's second brother, nodded in agreement, his ashy-blond hair flying in his eyes and across his face.

"Oskar complains about it all the time, especially when it comes to his science classes." A hand clamped down on Eren and Otto's heads, halting them both in their tracks. "Who complains about science classes?" Zoe stuck her head between the two boy's faces, both staring at the psychotic woman in confusion and slight terror.

"Hanji, stop freaking my brother and his friends out," Levi said, jerking Zoe back by the straps of her backpack. Despite the height difference of nearly ten centimeters in the pair's case, Levi could easily put Zoe flat on her back, something that Eren witnessed with startling regularity. That is, when Irvin wasn't around to break up Zoe and Levi's disputes.

Zoe huffed and rolled her eyes, "_Fine_, but I don't see why science should be so hard!" Levi flicked her on the forehead, "Not everyone dissects road kill and memorizes the science textbooks for fun you know."

Eren winced, remembering several occasions on which he had been over at Zoe's house with Levi and had unknowingly opened the freezer, only to find a frozen possum on the third shelf, along with a tray of medical instruments and organs on the shelf below. Eren fought to stop retching at the thought of it; the glassy eyes, the cut straight down the middle, the frozen blood that Zoe had failed to clean off… Eren blanched and turned away, his stomach twisting uncomfortably.

"We've got five minutes till the bell rings," Zoe said, "Might as well start heading to class." Eren sighed and turned towards class, already for the day to be over with. A hand found its way to his shoulder and he stopped, turning his head back. "See you later Eren," Levi said, ruffling his hair for a moment before he set off on the path towards the high school, which had been built as a completely separate complex apart from the elementary and middle school. Eren smiled and turned back around, rejoining the conversation that Armin and Otto had begun while he was distracted.

* * *

_Math is such a pain,_ Eren groaned internally, dropping the pencil onto his comforter and leaning back on his bed, staring up at the white ceiling. _I'm never going to remember all of this crap._ He sat back up and stared at the paper, gaze unfocused and inattentive. Something red splashed down onto the paper, smattering across the white and staining it.

Another droplet fell and Eren looked up his head spinning. There was nothing above him. He ran his hand across his upper lip and pulled it away, covered in blood, _with steam slowly curling off of his fingers and the swords grasped in his hands. What was it Levi had said? Oh, right, reverse the grip on the blades so that the strain on your wrists is lessened. Eren looked up, glaring at the Titans that strode freely through the streets of Wall Maria._I'll kill you all!_ He vowed, the thoughts screaming through his mind. _Every last one of you!

His senses returned slowly, the scent of blood and dust fading to the scent of blood and lavender and the sounds of screams and whirring mechanisms were replaced by a voice. Ere opened his eyes and grabbed the hand clutching his shoulders. Levi had him pinned to the ground, hands pressed against his shoulders and his knee on Eren's stomach.

"Are you okay now?" Levi said, slowly easing the pressure and leaning back until he was simply straddling Eren's hips. Eren propped himself up slowly, wiping at his still bleeding nose. "Yeah… I think I am…" Levi sighed in relief and raised a hand to his head, murmuring to himself so quietly that Eren had to strain to make out the words that barely formed on Levi's lips. "Why does he have to remember too…?"

* * *

**-Tenth Year-**

Eren let his head hit his desk, groaning in irritation, "Why is the last day of school always so freaking _long_?!" Armin smiled and tapped his desk as his eyes scanned the pages of his _National Geographic_ magazine, eyes bright with excitement as he read about one new and intriguing thing after another. "Maybe because they want to torture us, but either way we'll be back here in a few months." Eren groaned again and dropped his head back on his desk with another solid thump.

"Don't remind me…" he muttered resentfully, "College is probably gonna be easy for Levi though. I hear that the classes aren't everyday depending on which class it is." Armin shook his head and laughed, "Irvin's told me it's not quite as easy as some might think, but it's also not impossible. You just have to get ahead and stay ahead." Eren snorted, "Levi's smart. He'll be fine, I'm sure of it." Armin shook his head, a smile on his face. He flipped another page in the magazine and stayed silent for a few moments before commenting again. "You don't have to worry about him so much. Besides," he said, cutting Eren off before the brown-haired boy could interject.

"Your brother is going to be what, an hour away? So don't worry, you'll see him all the time." Eren glowered at the boy, "Who said anything about missing him?" Armin laughed and let the magazine fall shut, looking at Eren for the first time in several minutes. "It's written all over your face. You're an open book Eren; anyone can read you."

* * *

The day school let out Eren had gone to Levi and begged for him to take them both to the beach, three hours away. His exact words had been, "Come on Levi, I wanna go somewhere with you before you go to college! I wanna go somewhere, just the two of us! Let's go to the beach!" And so, a week after school let out, they packed up and drove three hours to part of the English coastline. Eren leapt out of the car and moved to make a dash to the empty beach, already reaching to pull his shirt off. Levi grabbed his collar and held him in place.

"Eren, unpack first, sunscreen second, and then you can get in the water." Eren frowned but helped anyways, carrying a chair and an umbrella to a spot relatively close to the water. After being liberally coated with sunscreen Levi set him free. Eren ran with a whoop into the water, laughing and shouting in delight at the water, a cool and salty contrast to the warm and humid day.

Eren splashed about, occasionally going under the waves to rummage through the sand for shells or any lurking crustaceans. He emerged an hour later, breathless and dripping, water rolling off in rivulets. "Levi, why don't you get in too?"

Levi wrinkled his nose and closed his book, looking up at Eren through the lens of his sunglasses. "… I'm not really much of a beach person." Eren put his hands on his hips and snorted, "Have you ever even _been_ to a beach?" Levi stared at him, or at least Eren assumed that he did; he couldn't really see his eyes behind the shades.

"I thought so. Now put some sunscreen on and come on!" Levi sighed and stood, peeling off his shirt, removing his sunglasses, and pulling the sunscreen back out, coating them both before he allowed Eren to drag him out from under the shade of the umbrella. _Finally,_ Eren thought, _I finally get to see new things with him!_

* * *

_Eren bit down on his hand, tearing through the flesh, blood filling his mouth before his body erupted, expanding in every direction. The transformation was painful, it always was. It felt like he was being pulled apart and stretched till he couldn't seem to stretch anymore and then he stretched even more. He tilted his head back and opened his mouth, a roar tearing from his throat as steam curled from his body._

Six other Titan-shifters surrounded him; two were of the 15 meter class, one was a meager 7 meter, while the other three fell somewhere between. Eren turned to his side, raising his fists and cocking his head so that he could keep all of them inside of his vision. Something landed in a tree off to the left; something small, with green flapping around tan and white colors. _I'm guessing he heard us then…_ Eren thought, his human face attempting to twist in a grimace and a smile at the same time. He jerked his mind back to the battle at hand when the 7 meter shifter lunged forwards, moving swiftly along the forest floor.

Eren swooped downwards, his jaws gaping and arms outstretched as he scooped the shifter up and turned so that he could face the others. He lowered his mouth to the shifter's neck and sank his teeth in, his eyes trained on the other shifters as he ripped the shifter out of his Titan form, tuning out the scream of agony coming from both the human and the Titan. His teeth slammed together around the body, severing the spinal cord and leaving the boy to bleed out; such a wound took time to heal and by the time it did the shifter would be long dead.

The sound of 3-D Maneuvering Gear made him turn his head and he watched as Levi shot through the air, hanging suspended for a moment before a hand smashed into him, knocking him into a tree. Eren turned and lunged for the offending Titan-shifter, his hand going clear through the head, leaving a gaping hole where its nose should have been. Eren roared, steam curling off of his hand as he swung his leg up, catching the shifter in the side and knocking it down to the ground.

He leapt through the air, slamming down on its neck and stomping, grinding his heel down in the spot where the shifter was still located, unable to escape from the fleshy prison that he or she had created. Teeth sank into his shoulder, into his side, and fists slammed into his side and back but Eren paid no mind. Nothing could hurt him through the veil of red-hot fury pulsing through him. He swung around, his whole fist flying through the air and slamming into the side of another shifter's head.

A spasm of pain flashed its way through his human body. He was tired; too many transformations too close together. He shouldn't have transformed for the fourth time; that had been a mistake. He didn't have enough stamina for five transformations within a twenty-four hour period, not yet.

Another shifter fell; its neck crushed flat, steam curling off of its decaying body. He dug his fingers into one of the 15 meter shifters, ripping at the nape of the neck and tearing the shifter from her position. He clenched his fist around her, blood leaking through his fingers. He let the body fall to the ground as another wave of pain rushed through his human body, forcing his eyes open for a moment before he let himself sink back into being a Titan. Another shifter died as Eren smashed the neck inwards, sending the body flying back and slamming into the last remaining shifter.

_Levi…_ Eren pulled himself from the nape of the Titan's neck, his body trembling with exhaustion and his vision doubling for a moment. _It's too much, too much… Just a little more time… all I need is a few more minutes…_ He activated the 3-D Maneuvering Gear and shot up to the tree, his knees slamming into the branch before he hauled himself up, crawling towards Levi's crumpled body. His hand groped the air for Levi's shoulder, his vision sliding in and out of focus.

He finally connected and held on for dear life, shaking Levi as hard as he dared. _Don't be dead Levi… Don't be dead… You can't die, not you. What would I have to live for if you're dead? _Levi's eyes flickered open, unfocused for a moment before clearing and focusing on Eren. Their eyes locked and relief pulsed through Eren as he fought not to sway right off of the branch.

The last shifter roared behind them, heavy footsteps pounding the earth as it charged. Eren spun and his vision spun as he leapt through the air, his bloody hand already moving towards his mouth. _Shouldn't those be healing…? _The thought absently ran through his head as his body expanded till he stood in his Titan form, unsteady and exhausted. He raised his hands in front of him, attempting to shift back into his fighting stance.

The Titan-shifter rammed into him and he hit the tree, sliding down and lying there as the shifter reared back and slammed its fists into him, tearing through his body. Steam curled up around him but Eren couldn't find the strength to fight back or rise from the nape of the neck. _Corporal… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you in the end…_ he stretched his hand up, reaching through the neck of his Titan form as darkness threatened to swamp him.

_His heart pounded painfully in his chest as he pushed his way through, clumsily emerging and falling down the side of the steaming body as his own convulsed for the last time._

* * *

Eren watched as Levi slowly loaded up his car, fighting to keep tears of frustration back. _Don't go,_ he thought, _there's so much I don't understand!_ He wanted to pull Levi aside and ask him so many questions; what were Titans; why did he see Petra, Oluo, Erd, and Gunter die; why did he watch his own death?

His mother and father were inside, their excuse being that they had to go get something. Eren knew that it was more because his mother couldn't hold herself together much longer; she wanted to stay strong for Levi but that was a little hard considering the tears that kept leaking down her face. Eren walked a little closer to Levi's car, watching as Levi slid the last suitcase into the trunk. He turned back to Eren.

"Well Eren," Levi said softly, looking melancholy, "I suppose I'll see you in a week or two, once I get everything settled in at the dorm…" Eren nodded, biting his lip in an effort to both keep from speaking and crying. Levi sighed and raised a hand to his head, looking like he was going to say something before he spun around and grabbed the car door.

"Corporal," it only took one word for Levi to freeze in place, like someone had taken a remote and hit the 'pause' button of their life. Levi slowly turned around, an agonizingly hopeful look on his face, "Eren…?" Eren smiled and looked up at Levi, hazel eyes meeting gray. "I remember." Levi wrapped Eren in a bone-shattering hug. "God, I thought you wouldn't…" his voice was soft, no more than a murmur in his ear. He let Eren move back an inch or two.

"I never told you enough last time but this time I'll tell you every second I can because I love you too damn much to let that happen again." Eren grinned and put a hand on Levi's shoulder, "It won't, so just wait for a little longer."

"Always."

**THE END**

* * *

Guys, I am happy and sad to say that this is the end of _Together Again_! It's been a good run and I have had so much fun writing this that I cannot wait to begin the chapter to my next story!

This chapter is a bit (heheh more than an bit) longer than the other ones but I hope you didn't mind. I'm sorry that I was a tad late in uploading this but softball this weekend ran on longer than planned and I've had a bitch of a cold today so I'm really lethargic (I'm about to pass out at my desk XD).

I'd thank each and every reviewer and follower but that would take a while and I still need to divide the paragraphs. So thank you all for reading this story! I hope that you all live long and prosper (insert Vulcan gesture)!

I also had to go back and insert line breaks because I thought that the little hyphen marks I had inserted to separate different occurrences within each year would remain. They did not. Now you can actually tell when the scene changes. Hooray~


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